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| October 26, 2005 | Wednesday | Ramzan 21, 1426 |
Wheat target revised to 22m tons
ISLAMABAD, Oct 25: The Federal Committee on Agriculture (FCA) has fixed 2005-06 target of wheat production at 22 million tonnes. With the overall water availability of 30.64 million hectares as against the last year’s 23 million hectares, water position is expected to remain good this year as compared to previous years.
This was stated by Minister for Food, Agriculture and Livestock Sikandar Hayat Bosan while briefing newsmen about decisions of the 83rd meeting of FCA which was chaired by him on Tuesday. Minister of state for food and agriculture, secretary food and agriculture, chairman IRSA, Punjab minister for agriculture, agriculture secretaries of the four provinces and officials of the ministries of water and power, commerce, industries and planning and development division attended the meeting.
Representatives of the State Bank of Pakistan and other commercial banks apprised the committee about availability and disbursement of agricultural credit.
Mr Bosan told the newsmen that the committee discussed in detail prospects of rabi crops and reviewed achievements in terms of Kharif crops.
The committee set the target of gram production at 580,000 tonnes from an area of 1.063 million hectares.
The target for potato production was fixed at 1.88 million tons and the target for onion was set at 1.66 million tonnes.
The minister said that Kharif cotton production achievement so far is estimated at 12.5 million bales but final figures would be compiled after complete plucking.
The sugarcane production is estimated to be 49.5 million tons, showing a 10 percent decrease over the last year’s production, the minister said, adding, the rice production this year is estimated at 5.14 million tonnes.
Bosan said maize production this year has been estimated at 2.98 million tons from an area of 1.02 million hectares.
The committee also reviewed availability of wheat seed, urea fertilizers and DAP in the country for rabi crop.
The minister said availability of wheat seed this year is 215,766 tons as against the last year’s 193,444 tons, indicating 12 percent improvement.
Urea fertilizer’s availability for rabi crop is estimated at 2.75 million tons, he said, adding, this includes domestic production of 2.3 million tons and inputs of 450,000 tonnes.
The requirements are estimated at 2.65 million of urea, Bosan added.
He said availability of DAP for rabi crop is 817 million tons as against the requirements of 747 million tonnes.—APP
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