Sowing of rice saplings: growers urged to pay heed to advice of agriculture experts

The Met Office on Tuesday asked the growers to sow rice saplings in line with the recommendations of the agriculture experts. Besides, the farmers of the lower half of the country should keep irrigating their fields for the Kharif crops keeping in view the prevailing weather conditions, it said, adding that the fields left fallow after wheat harvesting may be ploughed and again be left unattended for a few weeks.
It said that measures should be taken to preserve the standing crops and orchids from the damaging impacts of extreme weather conditions like thunder-dust-storm, gusty winds, hails etc in particular areas. Temperature during day and night is likely to remain above normal in the most of the agricultural plains of the country in the next 10 days. Normal wind pattern may prevail in the most of the agricultural plains of the country, however strong winds are expected in Balochistan, Sindh and southern Punjab over the period, it added.
Punjab: Light to moderate is expected in most parts of the province. However, rain/thunderstorm is expected at isolated places in Bahawalpur, Multan, D. G. Khan, Sahiwal, Sargodha, Faisalabad, Lahore, Gujranwala, Rawalpindi divisions and Islamabad during the first half of the current decade. Khyber Pakhtunkhwa: Rain/thunderstorm is expected at scattered places of Malakand, Hazara, Peshawar, Mardan, Kohat divisions during the first half of the current decade. Sindh: Mainly hot and dry weather is expected.
Balochistan: Mainly dry weather is expected. However, rain/thunderstorm is expected at isolated places of Quetta, Kalat and Zhob divisions during the first half of the current decade. Gilgit-Baltistan: Rain/thunderstorm is expected at scattered places in the province. Kashmir: Rain/thunderstorm is expected at scattered places in the province during the first half of the current decade.