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Rabie crop target finalized
 ISLAMABAD - The Federal Government Monday fixed agriculture
crops targets for current Rabi season in view of the acute
water shortage and asked provinces to prepare effective
strategy for achieving maximum per acre yield.
The targets were fixed during a high-level meeting of Federal
Committee of Agriculture (FCA) presided by Federal Agriculture
Minister Khair Mohammad Junejo here.
According to the decision, wheat target has been set at 20.1
million tons, potato 1.92 million tons, onion 1.54 million
tons, sunflower 2 lakh tons, canola 60,000 tons and rapseed
crop 1,85,000 tons for the Rabi season.
The wheat target for Punjab stands at 15.6 million tons, Sindh
2.7 million tons, NWFP 1.06 million tons and Balochistan. 6
million tons for the current Rabi season.The government wants
to achieve agriculture growth target by 2 per cent in the
current fiscal against negative 2.5 per cent of last fiscal.
The expected water shortage will certainly create problems for
Agriculture Ministry highups to achieve desired targets
keeping in view difficult the situation of availability of
water and increase in prices of agri related inputs.
"The government has set realistic targets for the current Rabi
season keeping in view the acute water shortage of 51 per cent
expected in the ongoing crop season," an official of
Agriculture Ministry told The Nation.
"There has been projection of wet winter in current year,
which will enable us to achieve the desired agri crops," the
official said.The one-window operation initiated by ADBP for
extending credit line to farmers was going very well in
Punjab. "We have also directed authorities in Sindh to
accelerate the one-window process to provide help to poor
farmers," he added.
He said that the disbursement relating to agri loans increased
by 22 per cent in the current fiscal year. The agri related
loans will be increased from Rs 49 billion to Rs 60 billion
during the current fiscal year.
It is relevant to mention here that Finance Minister Shaukat
Aziz had announced increase of 100 per cent in farm loans from
this year. The government was intended to increase credit line
from Rs 50 billion to Rs 100 billion in this connection.
The official, however, opined that the government would
certainly increase the desired amount but "we want to enhance
credit capacity for better utilisation of agri loans."
According to official handout issued by MINFAL, the meeting
reviewed water availability and rainfall forecast for the Rabi
season. The meeting was informed that water shortage for the
current Rabi season will be 51 per cent.
The provinces were, therefore, advised to develop a water use
plan for the Rabi season. The Met office has forecast that in
the middle of December the rainfall will be close to normal.
The FCA noted with satisfaction that the induction of Trading
Corporation of Pakistan (TCP) the prices of cotton (phutti)
are hovering around the support price fixed by the government.
The committee was further informed that in view of heavy
infestation of American boll warm the production estimate of
cotton is likely to be around 10.5 million bales. In case of
sugarcane, the production is estimated at 46 million tons
against 43.5 million tons of last year.
Regarding rice, the committee noted that there is a major
shift in sowing pattern of the crop. A large area of rice is
grown under coarse varieties has been shifted to basmati rice.
Production of rice has been estimated at 3.77 million tons.
The meeting also reviewed availability of agri inputs and
expressed its satisfaction over the prevailing situation.
November 2, 2001
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