Current rain spells to have positive impact on wheat crop

ISLAMABAD: The current rain spell will have a positive impact on Rabi crops, particularly wheat - the major cash crop sown over vast area in the country.

The wheat crop sown in the early days of the season i.e, in November last year, is nowadays at the "spike emergence stage'. It has developed grains, with rapid nourishment, said Dr. Shahid Masood talking to APP on Friday.

Dr Masood, who is Member Crop Sciences of the Pakistan Agriculture Research Council (PARC), said the widespread spell would be useful for the crop acroos the country in general and in the rain fed areas in particular.

The wheat belongs to the grass family which is not affected by the light to moderate rains at the spike emergence stage, he said and added that its disease-resistant varieties had been cultivated in the country.

He, however, advised the growers of irrigated areas to take proper care of their crops, do not let the water standing in fields for long time and avoid using nitrogen fertilizers in early sown crops at this time.

Dr Shahid said the growers of late sowing crops could spread nitrogen fertilizer at an appropriate ratio for getting maximum yeild.

Meanwhile, Chief of Agriculture Policy Institute (API) Abdul Rauf Chaudhry told APP that about 3 million ton wheat was supplied to local flour mills for fulfilling the domestic consumption forom the period September-November 2012.

He said that only four months were left from the current consumption year adding that from the month of May new crop would start to arrive in the market which would further consolidate the position of domestic commodity stock.

Abundant wheat stocks of 6.267 million tons are available for domestic consumption as well as to export while bumper crop production is expected during next year.

As per the latest data, domestic wheat stocks stands at 6.267 million tons, which was 9.30 million tons when government started release to flour mills from the domestic stocks by month of September, 2012.

He said that crop has been sown about 16.4 million acre as against the last year's sowing of 16 million which was up by 0.4 percent adding that wheat sowing in Sindh Province was increased by 1 percent as compared to the sowing of the same period last year as about 0.98 million hectare of land has been put under the crop so far as against the 0.97 million hectare of last year.

Meanwhile, in KP wheat sowing crossed 730,000 hectare mark as against the last year's sowing on 727,000 hectare, he added.

Abdul Rauf said that wheat sowing registered decrease in Balochistan Province due to floods from last two years as it is expected that sowing figures are likely to reach 341,000 hectare during this year as compared the sowing of 388,400 hectare two year before.

He further informed that crop sowing across the wheat producing areas of the country was satisfactory due to timely rains in rain-fed areas and cultivation got momentum in arid areas due to increase in wheat support price and availability of other inputs.