Higher wheat output target fixed amid water woes

Published October 8, 2021
Punjab will be producing 21.94 million tonnes, almost 75 per cent of the total wheat target. — Dawn/File
Punjab will be producing 21.94 million tonnes, almost 75 per cent of the total wheat target. — Dawn/File

ISLAMABAD: The Federal Committee on Agriculture (FCA) on Thursday fixed wheat target at 28.9 million tonnes from a sowing area of 9.2 million hectares for the rabi season 2021-22, an increase of 1.4 million tonnes over last year’s production.

Punjab will be producing 21.94 million tonnes, almost 75 per cent of the total wheat target, followed by 4,200,000 tonnes by Sindh, 1,525,000 tonnes by Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and 1,215,000 tonnes by Balochistan.

The high-powered committee, chaired by Minister for National Food Security and Research Syed Fakhar Imam, also set targets for other major rabi crops including gram and potatoes. The committee also fixed production targets for gram at 559,000 tonnes, potato 6,028,000 tonnes, tomato 2,421,000 and chillies 621,000 tonnes.

The Indus River System Authority (Irsa) Advisory Committee has anticipated a shortfall of 28 per cent irrigation water during the upcoming rabi season. Provinces have been allocated 26.91 million acre feet (MAF) of water. However, the prevailing weather conditions are supportive and shortage may be manageable, the FCA was informed.

FCA also sets production estimates for major rabi crops

Pakistan Meterological Department informed the meeting that rainfall, for the country as a whole, for the monsoon season 2021 was close to climatic normal. On a regional scale, it remained above normal over Gilgit-Baltistan, Balochistan and Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa and below normal over AJK, Punjab and Sindh.

Consequently, water stress may be observed for rabi crops due to deficient rains, particularly in rain-fed areas. Weather, outlook for the period of October to December 2021 suggests that amount of rainfall will be below normal in agricultural plains of all the provinces.

The committee was informed that cotton production for 2021-22 is estimated at 9.37 million bales from 1.9 million hectares, showing an increase of 19.8pc over the last year.Punjab Minister for Agriculture, Syed Hussain Jahania Gardezi and AJK Agriculture Minister Sardar Mir Akbar as well as PASSCO and other stakeholders attended the meeting.

Published in Dawn, October 8th, 2021

Follow Dawn Business on Twitter, LinkedIn, Instagram and Facebook for insights on business, finance and tech from Pakistan and across the world.

Opinion

Accessing the RSF

Accessing the RSF

RSF can help catalyse private sector inves­tment encouraging investment flows, build upon institutional partnerships with MDBs, other financial institutions.

Editorial

Madressah oversight
Updated 19 Dec, 2024

Madressah oversight

Bill should be reconsidered and Directorate General of Religious Education, formed to oversee seminaries, should not be rolled back.
Kurram’s misery
Updated 19 Dec, 2024

Kurram’s misery

The state must recognise that allowing such hardship to continue undermines its basic duty to protect citizens’ well-being.
Hiking gas rates
19 Dec, 2024

Hiking gas rates

IMPLEMENTATION of a new Ogra recommendation to increase the gas prices by an average 8.7pc or Rs142.45 per mmBtu in...
Geopolitical games
Updated 18 Dec, 2024

Geopolitical games

While Assad may be gone — and not many are mourning the end of his brutal rule — Syria’s future does not look promising.
Polio’s toll
18 Dec, 2024

Polio’s toll

MONDAY’s attacks on polio workers in Karak and Bannu that martyred Constable Irfanullah and wounded two ...
Development expenditure
18 Dec, 2024

Development expenditure

PAKISTAN’S infrastructure development woes are wide and deep. The country must annually spend at least 10pc of its...