ISLAMABAD, Oct 11: The Federal Committee on Agriculture (FCA) on Monday set wheat production target at 20.15 million tons for 2004-05. This was disclosed by Food, Agriculture and Livestock Minister Sakandar Hayat Bosan while briefing reporters about the FCA decision.

He said: "Provincial governments have been asked to pay more attention on wheat growing to get a production of 20.8 million tons during the forthcoming wheat season." The minister said the government had launched a campaign of "grow more wheat" from Monday (today) to increase the production and had taken a number of steps to encourage and facilitate farmers in achieving more production.

Mr Bosan said: "We have to increase wheat production to meet next year's requirements of 20.4 million tons and the government has taken various measures to achieve the goal."

The support price of wheat has been increased from Rs350 to Rs400 per 40 kg and sugar mill owners have been made bound to start crushing season in Sindh from October 15, and in Punjab and NWFP from November 1, he added.

The minister said necessary steps had been taken to ensure timely supply of urea and phosphorus fertilizers and availability of wheat seeds and herbicides at reduced rates. Mr Bosan said 21,000 tons of certified seeds would be made available to the farmers and there would be no restriction on its inter-provincial movement.

He said: "We are trying that picking of cotton should be completed at the earliest so that 70 per cent wheat may be sown in the month of November." The minister said the condition of cotton crop was good and the set target of 10.7 million bales was likely to be achieved during the current year.

"The government has increased the support price of phutti from Rs850 to Rs950 per 40 kg this year," he said, adding the Trading Corporation of Pakistan had been directed to ensure a reasonable price to the farmers.

On the recommendation of the ministry of food and agriculture, the Economic Coordination Committee of the cabinet has abolished the upper limit of cotton procurement, he added.

Mr Bosan said the government had decided to provide support price to the farmers at any cost and appropriate measures were being taken for purchase of cotton by the TCP and payment to the growers.

He said the production of sugarcane was expected to be 47.9 million tons, which could produce 3.4 million tons of sugar during the current year. The minister said the domestic requirement of sugar was 3.6 million tons whereas the TCP had a carryover stock of 475,000 tons. -APP