Dry spell likely to hit gram crop target

Prolonged dry spell in the country, especially in Southern Punjab, may hit the production target for gram crops which has been set at 620,000 tons for the current season in the country. The Punjab Agriculture Department (PAD) sources told the Business Recorder on Friday that the total sowing area target for the country was fixed at 2.6 million acres of land while in Punjab it was fixed at 2.1 million acres.
The growers have till date achieved sowing at an area of 1.8 million to 1.9 million acres of land. "We are sure that the sowing target in Punjab will be achieved but the actual cause of concern is that there were no rains during the month of October and there is no such forecast in November and December too," the sources added.
They said there was less residual moisture in the land. If rains do not occur then there will not be sufficient moisture after the germination of the crop. The situation was also reviewed at the federal level the other day and the government had shown its concern over the crop situation. The production target has been set at 620,000 tons while it is being expected that with the current moisture level it may touch 300,000 to 400,000 tons, the sources claimed.
The sources further said that the federal government had directed the departments concerned to keep a vigil on the situation of gram crop and be ready to import black chick pea from the international market if needed. Meanwhile, Agri Forum Pakistan Chairman Muhammad Ibrahim Mughal talking to this scribe claimed that the dry spell and low moisture in land was creating hurdles in the sowing of gram crop in Punjab, especially which, according to him, produces 90 percent of the total production of the country. He also observed that the government should have fixed a sowing target of three million acres of land. He said Mianwali, Bhakkar, Layyah and Khushab districts were famous for this crop.
He claimed that 1,400,000 acres of land could be brought under sowing of gram crop in Punjab. He said total of 1.2 million tons of pulses including 800,000 tons of grams was consumed in the country. "We can achieve this target by sowing gram on three million acres of land out of which 2.6 to 2.7 million acres of land should be brought under cultivation of gram in Punjab alone," Ibrahim Mughal said.
The Agri Forum Pakistan Chairman also observed that the government should also make serious efforts to promote sowing of gram crop in irrigated area as presently it is only being sown in the Barani area and erratic rain pattern disturb the production targets.
He also urged for introducing new techniques and developed varieties which could resist the fungus disease which hit this crop. Only this could increase our per acre yield of gram which presently stands at seven to eight maund per acre while India by using new varieties and latest technology was getting 14 to 15 maund per acres.