SWABI The continuous drought has badly affected crops and vegetables in the district as farmers have appealed to the people to offer special prayers for rain.

Both growers and officials of the agriculture department are worried about the situation as wheat cultivation season has started in the district.

Qaisar Khan, a farmer of Maneri Bala, says that now the wheat cultivation season has been started and preparation of the land is underway.

'After the harvesting of maize crop we immediately go for preparation of the land for wheat crop each year,' he said.

He says that drought has slashed the harvest of maize crop by 50 per cent and now the same is expected with wheat if it doesn't rain with in the next few days.

The farmer says that the owners of land being irrigated from canals and tubewells have started preparation for wheat sowing but owners of arid lands are waiting for rain.

'There are 16,000 kanals arid land only in Chota Lahor tehsil. Similarly, owners of 3,000 kanals land in proper Swabi region, Maneri, Topi, Maini, Marghuz, Gar Yousafi, Zaida, Rana Dheri, Kernel Sher Kili, Bamkhel, Salim Khan and other regions of the district depend on rain,' says a revenue official.

He says that wheat crop has widely grown in that land and whenever it rains it yield good production, minimising the shortage of wheat flour.

The farmers say that they have appealed to people to offer special prayers for rain. 'Without rainfall it is not possible for us to sow wheat in the arid lands,' they add.