12m bales of cotton, 51.3m tons of cane: Kharif crop targets set
By Our Staff Reporter
ISLAMABAD, March 28: The federal government has set a target of 12 million bales of cotton, 51.3 million tons of sugarcane and 5.2 million tons of rice production during the next Kharif season (crop year 2005-06), Dawn has learnt. The Federal Committee on Agriculture (FCA) meets here on Tuesday to approve these targets for Kharif 2005 and review overall water situation, output of Rabi crops and availability of Kharif agricultural inputs. The committee, represented by a number of federal ministries and agencies and the provincial governments, is the highest forum to take agriculture related decisions including finalization of production targets of various crops.
COTTON: According to the working paper made available to Dawn by the Ministry of Food, Agriculture and Livestock, the total cotton production is estimated at 12 million bales in crop year 2005-06 which is about 12 per cent higher than last season’s target of 10.72 million bales.
The next season’s target is, however, about 22 per cent lower than 14.6 million bales production (provisional) during the current season. The Punjab and Sindh are expected to produce 9.4 million bales and 2.5 million bales respectively next year.
For 2004-05, the government had fixed the cotton area at 3.14 million hectares. Provisional estimates suggest that current crop was sown on 3.21 million hectares or about 2.23 per cent higher than target.
The cotton production in the next year, said some experts, has been underestimated in view of an expected better water availability. Officials, however, believed that area for cotton cultivation is projected to decline by five per cent owing to higher sugarcane prices received by the farmers in the current season.
The national average yield in 2004-05 has turned out to be 773 kg per hectare as against the target of 580 kg which means that yield was 33 per cent higher than the target, owing to favourable weather conditions throughout the season. Next year’s yield is also expected to be around 669 kg per hectare.
SUGARCANE: The sugarcane production has been targeted at 51.245 million tons in 2005-06 through its cultivation on an area of one million hectares and with a yield of 51 tons per hectare.
The Punjab, Sindh and NWFP would produce about 33.1 million ton, 13.225 million tons and 4.9 million tons respectively.
In 2004-05, the government had set a sugarcane target of 50.875 million tons production, one million hectares of area under cultivation and 51 tons per hectare yield for 2004-05.
The provisional figures suggested total sugarcane production of 47.938 million tons at an area of 957,600 hectares and 50 tons per hectare yield. The cane production and area under cultivation, thus, decreased by 11 per cent each when compared with last year.
The production in the Punjab and Sindh the chairman dropped by eight and 23 per cent respectively owing to water shortage and conflict between the mill owners and growers. This is likely to reduce sugarcane area in Sindh by 15-20pc next season.
RICE: Keeping in mind a five per cent increase over current year, the next year’s rice production has been targeted at 5.225 million tons with a yield target of 1,985 kg per hectare and area under cultivation of 2.6 million hectares. Of this, rice production in the Punjab and Sindh is estimated at 3.1 million tons and 1.5 million tons respectively.
For the current season, the government had set a rice production target of 5.1 million tons and area under cultivation of 2.586 million hectares but total production was slightly lower and stood at 5.024 million tons owing to a lower area under cultivation of 2.50 million hectares. The total rice production and area on country level, however, increased by 3.6 per cent and 1.6 per cent respectively when compared with last year.
MAIZE: The target next year’s maize production has been set at 1.9 million tons against current year’s target of 2.15 million tons. The yield is expected to drop to 2257 kg per hectare next year against current year’s target of 2290 kg.
MUNG: The target for mung production, area under cultivation and yield would remain unchanged at 163,630 tons, 264,300 hectares, and 619 kg per hectare respectively because it could not be met during the current year.
MASH: The mash production, area and yield is also expected to be remain at the current year level of 37,400 tons, 46,400 hectares and 806 kgs per hectare respectively because of lower results during the current year.
CHILLIES: The production of chillies, area and yield would also remain the same at the current year’s level of 145,800 tons, 92,900 hectares and 1,569 kgs per hectare.
