ISLAMABAD, June 8: Except for Punjab, the entire country is facing a shortage of wheat even after the arrival of new crop, largely because the government has missed this year’s production target.

According to the Ministry of Food, Agriculture and Livestock (Minfal), the target of 23.3 million tons was missed by 1.5 million tons because the use of DAP fertiliser dropped by 40 per cent and the use of water was 22 per cent less than required during the Rabi season.

The price of DAP fertiliser almost doubled during the season, forcing the farmers to reduce its use.

According to Minfal, Sindh, which needs 4.8 million tons of wheat a year, has a deficit of 1.35 million tons. The ministry has suggested that Sindh be allowed to meet its deficit from the 2.5 million tons the government plans to import.

The situation in the NWFP is worse. The province, which has been facing a flour price hike for eight months, is facing a shortfall of 2.22 million tons.

The province could produce only 1.16 million tons whereas its annual need is 3.38 million tons.

Sources said that the NWFP depended heavily on Punjab and did not have its own storage facilities. Punjab frequently bans the supply of wheat and flour to the NWFP, causing prices there to shot up faster than other parts of the country.

The sources said that in the past six months, people in the province paid between 50 and 70 per cent more for flour than those in Punjab. One kilogramme of flour cost Rs30 in the province as against Rs20 in Punjab.

Balochistan --- which should not face any crisis because of its low population --- is also facing a shortage of wheat and flour. It has produced only 0.86 million tons against its annual requirement of 1.2 million tons.

Balochistan also does not have its own storage facilities and relies on supplies from Punjab. The province is hit badly whenever Punjab imposes a ban on inter-provincial movement of wheat and flour.

The ministry data show that Azad Kashmir and the Northern Areas have produced only 8,000 tons of wheat against their annual requirement of 1 million tons.

Last year, there was a 2 per cent decline in the wheat sowing area because of a delayed sugarcane crushing season and late cotton picking, one of the main reasons for the decline in production.