Keeping in view the dry spell in the lower half of the country, the Met Office has advised farmers to irrigate their cotton and sugarcane crops according to requirements. "Due to dry weather in lower half of the country during the decade, farmers of cotton and sugarcane crops of lower areas are advised to irrigate the crops as per requirement," said the Office in its 10-day farmers advisory.
It says that farmers should take timely measures to protect their crops, livestock and property as monsoon rains are expected to occur in different parts of the country during the next 10 days. Farmers of rain-fed fields, which rely on obtaining water through tube wells for irrigating their crops, should also schedule the irrigation according to the expected rainy weather in coming days.
"Farmers of upper half of the country are advised to complete sowing of Kharif crops in time to utilise fully the present soil moisture especially growers of maize crop in rainfed areas," it said. The office warned farmers of pest attack on their crops following recent rainy spell in central and upper parts of the country, advising them to be careful of rapid growth of weeds and the insects.
In Punjab, the office forecast mainly hot and humid weather in most of the province's agricultural plains. It said that scattered rain dust-thundershowers with isolated heavy falls coupled with gusty winds were expected in upper and central parts in shorts spells during the next 10 days.
Mainly hot and humid weather is expected in most of the agricultural plains of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa in the next 10 days, the office said, adding that scattered rain dust-thundershowers with isolated heavy falls associated with gusty winds are likely in upper and central parts of the province in spells. Isolated rain dust-thundershowers with gusty winds are expected in lower Sindh during the period. Isolated rain and dust-thundershowers coupled with gusty winds are expected in spells in north-eastern parts of Balochistan, it said. Mainly dry weather with isolated rain is expected in Gilgit-Baltistan while isolated to scattered rain-thundershowers with strong gusty winds are expected in Kashmir during the next 10 days, it added.