Over 92.08pc wheat sowing target achieved
Business
Over 92.08pc wheat sowing target achieved
ISLAMABAD (Dunya News) – Over 92.08 percent of the set target of wheat sowing in the country has been achieved for season 2022-23, to produce about 28.4 million tons of grains to meet domestic requirements and keep the strategic reserves.
According to the Provincial Crop Reporting Services, by January 2, 2023, the wheat crop was cultivated on over 21.04 million acres as against the set targets of 22.85 million acres.
Food Security Commissioner in the Ministry of National Food Security and Research Imtiaz Ali Gopang said, it was anticipated that crop sowing targets set for the current season would be achieved as the standing water of catastrophic floods and torrential rains receded from the arable areas of Sindh, enabling the farmers to sow the crop.
Besides, he said, in some areas sugarcane crop was not fully harvested and fields were occupied by the matured crop, adding that due to the start of the crushing season of sugarcane, these lands were now ready for sowing.
Gopang said that final wheat sowing data would be compiled by mid of the current month (January) and would depict the actual picture, adding that area under wheat sowing would further go up due to timely rains in rain-fed areas of the country.
Besides all other factors, the government had also provided incentives and facilitated the growers, particularly farmers of worst flood-hit areas, for ensuring timely sowing of crops and earmarked an amount of Rs 1,819 billion under Prime Minister Kissan Package, he highlighted.
The agriculture loans amounting to Rs 663.9 billion were released during the month of November 2022 and it was expected that the loan disbursement would surpass Rs 800 billion mark by the end of last month, Imtiaz informed. The agriculture loan was the component of Prime Minister Kissan Package of Rs 1,819 billion to revive Pakistan s agriculture sector, particularly restoring the agriculture of areas affected by catastrophic floods during monsoon season.
He said the package comprised 15 main points to restore and revive the agriculture sector in the country to ensure food safety and security in the country, adding that significant progress had been made in all points.
The prime minister on October 31, 2022, he said, had announced the package and the cabinet accorded the approval to this effect on November 17. Prime Minister was taking a keen interest and holding a fortnightly meeting in order to review the progress on the package, he assured.
Besides, the government has also announced to waive off markup for the farmers from the flood-devastated areas, the food security commissioner said, adding that the State Bank of Pakistan (SBP) had also issued a notification to this effect, and a 100 percent markup amounting to Rs10.62 billion would be waived off.
