PESHAWAR, Nov 3: Early rains in several parts of the Frontier province have benefited growers in the southern districts of the province ahead of the wheat sowing season, according to agriculture experts.

Several parts of the province received heavy rains in October.

"Because of early rains in area with no proper irrigation system we are expecting good wheat crop this year," said Amir Mohammed Shah, deputy director, agriculture extension department, NWFP.

Officials said that good rains in the southern districts have been of great benefit to the farming community ahead of the wheat sowing season as they managed to sow wheat at an early stage of the Rabbi season.

"Wheat sowing has already been done in about 80 per cent of the rain-fed areas of the province, giving high hopes to farmers community to get a good crop," said Mr Shah.

Officials of the agriculture department said timely rains in the Barrani areas had a positive effect on the agriculture sector of the province as a result of which the provincial government appeared to be better placed to achieve the wheat production target for the 2004-05 financial year.

The province, according to sources, has been set a target of 1.1 million tons of wheat production for the 2004-05 financial year, which is 75,000 tons more than the last financial year when the federal government had set a target of 1.025 million tons wheat production for the Frontier province.

Last year, according to sources, the NWFP had surpassed the wheat production target as its wheat crop yields stood at 1.05 million tons.

Though the province achieved the yield target, it could not achieve by 100 per cent the target set in terms of area. A total area of about 740,000 hectares had been brought under wheat crop, whereas the province had been set a target of cultivating wheat crop on 785,000 hectares.

"Chances are quite brighter that the province would be able to achieve both the area-wise and production targets," said an official of the agriculture department.

However, the target could become a difficult proposition for the agriculture department if rains affected negatively the Northern parts of the province which have already taken the brunt of heavy rains during the last couple of months.

According to meteorologists, Malakand region recorded 200 mm of rains during the last couple of months, reflecting a major change in the weather patron when compared with the past.

"While Dir district normally receives 40 mm of rains up till this time of the year, it recorded 365 mm rains during the last couple of months," said a meteorologist.