KARACHI, Nov 3: Sindh fears loss of 600,000 tons in wheat production for 2007-08 after Indus River System Authority (IRSA) forecast 22 per cent water shortage for Rabi season, sources at the ministry of agriculture revealed.The ministry sources said that the new wheat crop (2007-08) had been estimated at 2.899 million tons compared to 3.4 million tons produced last year. In view of the anticipated water shortage the Federal Committee on Agriculture (FCA) in its recent meeting had asked the Sindh ministry of agriculture not to raise its wheat crop estimates for the next season from the previous year’s target.

Sources were, however, hopeful that if there were enough rains like the last year then the province could achieve 3.4 million tons wheat production.

The cultivation area under wheat will remain the same at 934,000 hectares.

The province hopes to achieve better sugarcane crop at 14.3 million tons this season against a target fixed at 13.2 million tons. In view of the higher sugarcane crop the ministry has asked sugar mills to start crushing in the first week of November. The sources maintain that delay in harvesting of sugarcane raises its sucrose content which improves the quality of sugar.

About the rice crop, the sources said that the revised estimates of the crop would be received by the ministry this month.

About efforts to control mealybug and curl leave virus which have caused considerable damage to the cotton crop in the province, the ministry sources said that the federal government had initiated a biological control project to rear predators inimical to the pests, which had so far shown resistance to the application of pesticides.

Asked about the incentives being offered to the farmers, the ministry said that the farm machinery such as wheat and rice thrashers were being provided at 50 per cent subsidy. The ministry last year installed 982 tube wells at 50pc subsidy and has plans to install 500 tube wells this year.

The government is also helping farmers to install sprinkles and dip irrigation systems, which go a long way in conserving water, at 80 per cent subsidy. About 20 sprinkles, which cost Rs4 million each, had been installed in two years.

A crop insurance scheme framed by the federal government would soon be introduced in the province, which would provide protection to cash crops against the damage caused by inclement weather conditions as well as pests and virus attacks.