HYDERABAD, April 22: Notwithstanding the shortage of water, which is natural and not artificial, the crop production has increased and we will have a bumper crop of wheat this year.

This was stated by the federal agriculture minister, Yar Mohammad Rind, who was talking to newsmen at the Circuit House on Tuesday.

He said according to reports received from the provinces, wheat production stood at 20.6 million tons, and added that four million tons would be exported to other countries.

He said that the water situation this year was better than last year.

He said the whole country was facing water shortages due to natural causes as there had been no rain and the melting of snow had also decreased.

He claimed that the 1991 Water Accord and the ministerial committee agreement 1994 was between the provinces and the federal government had nothing to do with them.

Answering a question about the agriculture package, the federal agriculture minister said that the prime minister had already reduced mark-up on agricultural loans and also announced relief in the power tariff for the agriculture sector.

He did not agree with a newsman that due to acute shortage of water the crop production had decreased. He claimed that only in cotton production there was 0.5 per cent shortfall, which was not much.

He claimed that the government was determined to increase cotton production from 10 million to 13 million bales.

Mr Rind agreed with a newsman that the wheat growers were not getting just price for their wheat crops.

He, however, held out an assurance that the government was committed to purchasing 5.3 million tons of wheat from the growers if they were unable to dispose of their surplus in the open market.

He said, similarly, the TCP had announced to export 100,000 tons of sugar leftover from last year.

Answering a question about the winding up of the Sindh Seed Corporation, the federal agriculture minister said that it was not a good step. He added that it was a provincial matter and he had no business to interfere.