February 03, 2007	Saturday	Muharram 14, 1428

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ISLAMABAD, Feb 2: An unusual increase in temperature is having a negative impact on wheat crop across the country and is likely to reduce yield by 10 to 15 per cent, badly hitting the government’s efforts to achieve the 22.5 million tons target for the season.

Agriculture ministry sources told Dawn that temperature had crossed 26 degrees Celsius on average in the wheat zones of Sindh and Punjab over the past week at a time when the crop was still in the grain forming stage.

“At this stage, the wheat crop needs a temperature of less than 20 degrees Celsius. The unexpected hot weather is likely to cause 10 to 15 per cent reduction in yield,” said an agriculture expert.

He said that the hot weather would have the same repercussions for the crop in the NWFP despite the fact that it had not yet reached the ‘milk stage’ there.

"Such a temperature is very unusual in January and early February. This is bad news for the farmers,” he observed.

The Agriculture Development Commissioner of the Ministry of Food, Agriculture and Livestock, Qadir Bakhash Baloch, said that the situation was still under control but if the conditions prolonged then it could damage the wheat yield. “We are looking towards rains and the meteorological office’s forecast," Mr Baloch said.

He said the crop was still in good health because of balanced use of fertilisers, particularly phosphate and potassium, by the farmers after the government had announced subsidies.

“We are expecting rains in northern Balochistan, upper NWFP and Northern Areas on Feb 4 and 5," Pakistan Metrological Department Director Akram Anjum said.

Replying to a question, he said westerly winds were expected with the advent of the first phase of rains later this week or early next week, which would reduce the temperature.

According to the meteorological department, the average temperature of Lahore was 19 degrees Celsius in January last year compared to 27 degrees on Thursday. In Karachi and Hyderabad, the average temperature was 25 degrees in January 2006 while that recorded on Thursday was 31 degrees.

Weather data of the Met Office show a 6-7 degrees increase in average temperature in the wheat sowing zones during this January-February over the last year because of absence of westerly winds and persistent dry weather.