LAHORE, March 15: The current rain spell may increase wheat yield by four to five per cent if strong winds do not follow the wet cycle, farmers from Punjab claimed here on Wednesday.

Around 70 per cent of total wheat sown in the province falls in the late-sowing category, which presently is at milky, advance-milky or grain formation stage. This wheat certainly needed fresh rain water, which also brought down nitrogen with it, they said. The rest of 30 per cent wheat was nearing maturity and would not be able to benefit much from the rain, they added.

“The current wet spell has special importance as both dams in the country stand emptied and canal system is being closed in a couple of days,” says Nisar Ahmad, senior vice-president of the Kissan Board Pakistan. Had it not been the current spell, the wheat crop could have been under real stress. It would not only benefit wheat, but other seasonal crops like gram, sunflower, corn and sugarcane would also equally benefit from it, he said.

Rain would not only help grow more grains on the stem but also increase the robustness of the grain, thus increasing its weight as well, he said. The only danger was a windy weather that could cause shedding of grains and damage the crop. Otherwise, rain was always beneficial at this stage. It also brought temperatures down and provides moisture to the crop over a sustained period of time, he claimed.

PFMA PLEA: The Pakistan Flour Mills Association on Wednesday asked the government to reduce interest rates for millers if it wanted them to purchase wheat in the coming procurement season.

In a press release, the association requested the State Bank governor to fix the interest rate maximum 1.5 per cent above the KIBOR.

During the coming season, wheat would be abundantly available in the country. With government stocks already half full, farmers ran the risk of price crash. In this situation, the government must facilitate millers so that they purchase maximum wheat and take pressure off official procurement agencies, it said.