Punjab fails to achieve paddy sowing target

M RAFIQUE GORAYA

LAHORE: Punjab has failed to achieve FY2012-13 paddy cultivation target by about one million acres due to 43 percent below normal rains, markedly reduced river inflows in June/July, high cost of diesel oil and 18-20 hours daily electricity load shedding in rural areas.

Director General, Agriculture Extension Services, Punjab Dr Anjum Ali told Business Recorder that the farmers could plant paddy nursery over an area or 3.2 million acres against the target of 4.33 million acres by July 31, 2012. However, he said, the growers might plant paddy over some vacant acreage after Saturday/Sunday’s widespread rains in the rice growing districts of the province.

Earlier Punjab, which produces 80 percent of the agriculture commodities, had   missed cotton sowing target of 6.4 million acres by one million acres this season due to scant rains and abnormally low flows in the four live rivers of the country. 

Punjab Irrigation canal regulator and consultant M. H. Siddiqui said the department has been releasing water in canals across the province in light of farmers’ needs and rainfall projections of the Meteorological department for sowing Kharif crops including cotton, sugarcane and rice which have so far proved misleading.

The Met office had forecast 15 percent more rains this summer, whereas so far rainfall has been almost 50 percent below normal. 

Agriculture experts and agronomist say that agriculture sector, which is said to be the lifeline of Pakistan’s economic and social stability, continues to be hit hard by shortage of irrigation water, drought conditions and dismal support from the Federal and provincial governments.

Talking to Business Recorder about the prospects of this year’s Kharif crops, President Agri-Forum Pakistan Ibrahim Mughal said that all the three major summer crops are facing serious threat of reduced output causing a loss of Rs.100 billion to the farmers/growers.

Due to less sowing of Kharif crops and reduced production this year, cotton growers would suffer a loss of Rs. 52 billion, rice growers Rs. 32 billion and sugarcane growers Rs. 16-18 billion.

He apprehended that cotton production would decrease by 1.8 million bales, rice by  1.1 million tons and sugar by 2,00,000 tons this year owing to natural and man-made causes including drought conditions and  mismanagement of precious  water resources.

Meanwhile, Met Office has said that scattered thunderstorms/rain is expected over Southeast Sindh (Mirpurkhas/Hyderabad divisions) and South Punjab. Isolated thundershowers may occur over Kashmir, North and Northeast Punjab. Mainly dry weather is expected over rest of the country.