BAHAWALPUR: Wheat will be cultivated on 2.7 million acres of land in three districts of the Bahawalpur division as per the target for the current Rabi season.

This was stated by Bahawalpur Agriculture Director (extension) Jamil Ahmed Ghauri while talking to Dawn here on Friday.

He said that wheat sowing had been started in the division for the Rabi season and farmers were being provided incentives and guidance by the agriculture field workers in this regard. However, he observed that presently the weather was still warm and the most suitable and beneficial timings for wheat sowing could be next month i.e. November.

He added that the majority of farming community had begun wheat sowing for early produce to earn higher profits in early March or April.

Mr Ghauri said that the yield was expected to be 34 to 45 maunds per acre, taking the total yield to be about five million metric tonnes in the Bahawalpur division. He said that last year, the total wheat production was over 4.5 million metric tonnes in the division.

Regarding the looming threat of shortage of about 25 per cent irrigation water for the Rabi season in the coming months, the director expressed his apprehensions but said that farmers in coordination with the department’s field workers could make alternative arrangements such as tubewells to irrigate their wheat crop.

He opined that canal water was needed at the time of wheat sowing, which was available at this time and being availed by early wheat-sowing farmers.

Meanwhile in the Lodhran district, wheat cultivation target has been set at 376,000 acres of land for the Rabi season.

This was stated by Lodhran Deputy Commissioner Muhammad Ashraf while presiding over a meeting of the officials of the agriculture department.

The DC directed the officials to ensure the availability of irrigation water along with other agriculture inputs like fertilisers, seed and latest technology in the district.

Published in Dawn, October 4th, 2026