Major crops register healthy growth

Three major crops in Pakistan have registered a healthy growth this year. Sugarcane production has increased by 12 percent, wheat 3.9 percent and maize 4 percent. According to officials at Ministry of Food and Agriculture (Minfa), Pakistan suffered the worst- ever flooding in its history and despite that it produced nearly 55 million tons sugarcane, 25 million tons wheat and 3.5 million tons maize.
Last year, the government set sugarcane production target at 53.7 million tons, but the output was 55 million tons; paddy production was 5.5 million tons against the set target of 6.176 million tons, maize production target was set at 3.563 million tons and its output was 3.5 million tons. Cotton production target was set at 14 million bales while its production was 11.5 million bales.
Minfa officials said that this year overall wheat production in the country may cross the projected target of 25 million tons and it will remain around 25.5 to 26 million tons. They said in Punjab wheat production would remain around 19.5 million tons against the government set target of 19.2 million ton. According to officials, this year Sindh province has harvested a record wheat crop with 4.2 million tons of wheat - 0.6 million tons against the government set target of 3.6 million tons.
The government has not yet convened the meeting of High Powered Federal Committee on Agriculture this year, but officials believe that Pakistan's main crops including rice, sugarcane and cotton production would significantly increase, due to better moisture level in soil. Farmers across the country have brought more land of cotton under cultivation as price of the commodity over the year has increased manifold.
Floods in August 2010 destroyed more than 1.2 million livestock, 6 million poultry heads worth billions of rupees, about 0.5 million tons of wheat seed for Rabi season stored at the household level was completely destroyed and cash crops, particularly cotton and rice were destroyed. Pakistan's overall cotton production during the year was recorded at 11.5 million bales against the set target of 14 million bales, which is 11.5 percent less than the target. Last year, Pakistan paddy production reduced by 30 percent.
The production of cotton and rice has declined - especially paddy was severely damaged in Sindh province - while sugarcane and wheat production has increased due to better moisture level in soil. In addition officials maintained that farmers of main crops ie wheat, sugarcane, rice, cotton and maize as well as vegetables and fruit have received handsome returns for their produce which resulted in the growth of agriculture sector.
The prices of important crops like wheat, cotton, sugarcane, paddy, and pulses have seen a significant increase during the past three years which are as fallow: Wheat Rs 950 per kg at farm, paddy Irri-6 Rs 800 per 40 kg at farm, paddy Basmati Rs 1250-1500 per 40 kg at farm, prices of different pulses like Masoor, Mash, Moong, gram are ranging Rs 2400 to Rs 6000 per 40 kg. Similarly, the price of cotton per bail crossed Rs 13,500 in the market.