ISLAMABAD: The recent rains will have a positive impact on Rabi crops except wheat which is the major cash crop of the season and a vital source of staple food for the local population.

A senior official of the Ministry of National Food Security and Research (MNFS&R) said that the rains will mainly help increase the production of Rabi crops including oil seeds like mustard and canola as well as gram already negatively affected by prolonged dry spells in the country.

However, rains would have no significant positive impact on wheat crops in the country as currently wheat is in the spike formation stage, he said.

“The dry spell has affected wheat crop negatively, especially in rain-fed areas which produce 10 percent of total wheat production,” he said.

The official said that the Federal Committee on Agriculture (FCA) in October 2023 had fixed the wheat production target at 32.2 million tons for the Rabi Season 2023-2024 from an area of 8.9 million hectares of land. The committee also fixed the production targets for other Rabi crops including grams at 4.1 million tons, potato at 60,330 thousand tons, onions at 2,494 thousand tons, and tomato at 666 thousand tons.

According to the Pakistan Meteorological Department’s weather outlook for the month of February, overall a tendency for near-normal rainfall is expected in most parts of the country during this month. After a prolonged dry spell, the situation will improve for rain-fed areas in the country, it says, adding that a moderate amount of water would be available for standing crops and vegetables having a positive impact on Rabi crops.

The report further projected fog episodes likely to subside gradually towards the end of the forecast month.

Copyright Business Recorder, 2024