ISLAMABAD, Jan 4: Food, Agriculture and Livestock Minister Sikandar Hayat Bosan on Tuesday said the government was hopeful of achieving the target of 20.2 million tons wheat this season after timely rains and completion of 60 per cent sowing in November.
Speaking at a press conference here, Mr Bosan also said the final draft of livestock policy had been finalized and would be presented in the next meeting of the cabinet for final approval.
The recent countrywide downpour had given a new hope to Minfal, he said. "Most parts of plain areas also witnessed rains during the wheat sowing season, while the recent wet spell served as the first water for the crop at an appropriate time."
In the past, he said, only 40 per cent of sowing took place in November and 60 per cent in December that badly affected the production. However, this year the trend had changed, as 60 per cent sowing was completed in November which would result in increased production, the minister added.
Besides, he said, about 20,000 tons of additional certified seed were sown this season and the use of herbicide was also satisfactory. The total consumption of wheat was 20.6 million tons and the government was actually eying the target of self-sufficiency in wheat, he said.
COTTON: Referring to the Pakistan Cotton Ginners Association's latest figures, Mr Bosan said the cotton production had reached the all-time high figure of 13.2 million bales this season, as compared to 10.2 million bales last year, showing a 63 per cent increase.
"This is the highest crop volume in the history of Pakistan. Till the end of the season in March, the figure can reach to 15 million and even 16 million bales," Mr Bosan said.
The final cotton figures, he said, would be released in consultation with the cotton committee and provinces, he said and added Minfal had been given an annual growth target of two per cent which, he said, would be achieved because after the timely rains the ministry was expecting a growth of five per cent. Minfal, he said, was striving to achieve the total growth target of 7.8 per cent as given by the prime minister.
CHINESE INVESTMENT: A Chinese team, he said, was arriving later this month to explore avenues of investment in the agro-based industry. Pakistan badly needed establishment of agro-based processing units as it had surplus production only in fruits which got rotten due to unavailability of such units. Pakistan, he said, would fully cooperate with and encourage the Chinese delegation to invest in this so far neglected sector.
SEEDLESS KINO: Pakistan, the minister said, was all set to start commercial production of seedless kino from next year which would be helpful in exploring new markets for the product and increasing supply to the existing ones.
The government, he said, was also focussing on increasing the practice of "tunnel farming" to improve the production of vegetables. Similarly, the government had started work on wheat research to increase the production and produce quality seeds.
During the press conference Mr Bosan's attention was also brought to the hoarding of urea by some profiteers in Punjab and Sindh at a time when the sowing season was on its peak. The urea was sold as high as Rs550 per bag and the government was unable to control the illegal businesses.
The minister was also reminded that Minfal had done nothing to make operational a tomato plant worth Rs100 million imported by the National Agriculture Research Council (NARC) a few years back.1
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