LAHORE, Feb 13: Farmers and government officials from the Punjab are optimistic that they will "easily achieve" wheat target of 20.2 million ton, if not cross it by a good margin, following the recent wet spell.
They say it was not only in-time rain, which was a source of their optimism, but also its pattern. The country, which was facing up to 58 per cent water shortage only two months ago, is now carrying 500,000 acre feet water into the next Kharif season.
According to the province-wise output target set by the federal government, the Punjab is expected to produce 16 million ton, Sindh 2.5 million ton, the NWFP one million ton, Balochistan 0.6 million ton and Azad Jammu Kashmir, which never exceeded 0.5 million ton, is expected to hit one million ton.
It may be mentioned that wheat production last season remained 19 million ton -- almost a million ton short of the targeted 20 million ton. Shortfall in demand and supply pushed the authorities to import two million tons of the commodity.
An official of the Kissan Board Pakistan says had there been no rain, the country would have been importing millions of tons of wheat. Though it is too early to talk about the crossing the target by any substantial margin, achievement of the fixed target is possible, he says.
A farmer from central Punjab claims that the rain pattern was a blessing. There is a forecast for more rain and it may further help improve subsoil water reservoirs and fill dams in addition to providing water to crops.
