LAHORE, Dec 4: The Punjab had sown 12.79 million acres out of its total wheat target of 16.80 million acres, thus achieving 76.13 per cent of the target set for the season by the start of the current month.

According to the officially consolidated figures, the province had sown 13.45 million acres last year on the same day, which were 4.96 per cent more than this year. Maximum loss this year has come from the cotton belt, which is still lagging at 59.61 per cent.

As cotton prices improve, the farmers in the areas are waiting for the last boll to yield crop before being terminated. That is why, out of total target of 6.392 million acres, only 3.810 million acres were sown.

The barani (rain-fed) area led the way, with 94 per cent of sowing. Against total target of 1.182 million acres, it had sown 1.113 million acres. However, last year it had achieved 1.15 million acres – 3.89 per cent more than this year.

Mixed zone (including rice area) had also performed better, with 85 per cent of the target. By Dec 1, it had sown 7.86 million acres out of 9.22 million acre.

“All three zones are slow to pick pace this year because of different factors,” says an official of the Punjab Agriculture Department. The improving cotton prices have held the zone hostage. The rice harvesting has been delayed and sugarcane crushing has still not started properly. So, all these zones are still to hit the target.

But, hopefully, things may start looking up within next two weeks as all these crops vacate huge acreage and farmers go the whole hog for wheat.

Even now, the average daily sowing is 350,000 to 400,000 acres. So, by that calculation, another million acres might have added to the tally by now. But they are still to be added to the tally, he added.