Hot & dry weather to affect wheat crop and delay cotton crop

The prevailing dry and hot weather may negatively affect the yields and quality of wheat and also cause delay in cotton sowing in the country. Senior officials of Ministry of National Food Security and Research told Business Recorder that prevailing dry weather may cut the yield of wheat and affect quality of the commodity especially in Punjab province, the largest wheat producer in the country, if it continues for a while. They said wheat crop is now at maturity stage and a high temperature would badly affect grain formation.
They said wheat harvesting has begun in Sindh therefore ongoing dry weather may not negatively affect the crop but in Punjab harvesting of wheat is expected to begin by mid of April therefore a high temperature would negatively affect the crop output in the province. One of the officials said that government has set wheat production target at 26.46 million tons for Rabi sowing season 2017-18 from an area of 8.95 million hectares and Punjab would produce 20 million tons, Sindh 4.2 million tons, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa 1.36 million tons and Balochistan 0.9 million tons.
Cotton Commissioner Dr Khalid Abdullah said there is no cotton crop in fields at present. However, the country is facing water shortage and if dry weather continues for a longer period, it will negatively affect cotton sowing, which is going to start from April 30. Pakistan has missed the revised cotton production target by around 8 percent with production recorded at 11.5 million bales against the revised target of 12.6 million bales for 2017-18.
Pakistan Space and Upper Atmosphere Research Commission (SUPARCO) crop situation and forecast report notes that wheat crop is at maturity stage, according to its cropping season gradient from South to North. It says positive factors include rainfall during November, December and February, effective procurement policy and less lodging of crop. The negative factors include low surface water supplies particularly from reservoirs during the main growing season, with shortages peaking in Indus-irrigated Southern Punjab followed by Sindh and Central Punjab.
The report further states that major impact of water shortages is on Sindh which has limited sweet water aquifer. In Punjab, the shortages are supplemented by tube-well water resulting in incremental cost of wheat production. However, a shortage of 60 percent water supply in February (IRSA) at flowering/ grain formation stages is highly critical in Southern Punjab, it says.
According to Weather advisory issued by Pakistan Meteorological Department (PMD) normal wind pattern may prevail in most of the agricultural plains of the country during the decade; however dust/sand storms may occur in southern Punjab and upper Sindh. Farmers are advised to schedule the irrigation plans in accordance with the expected weather. Removing weeds from the standing crops is very important as weeds utilize moisture and food which are to be utilized by the crop. As a result considerable loss in yield occurs every year, the report maintains.
PMD Director General Dr Ghulam Rasul said that less than average rainfall is forecast during April-May 2018, which would result in 1-2 degree rise in temperature, with acute water shortage. He further said country is already facing water shortage and due to less rainfall, the situation is likely to become worse in the coming days.