ISLAMABAD: The FCA meeting for Rabi 2014-15 under the chairmanship of Sikander Hayat Khan Bosan Federal Minister for National Food Security and Research has set the wheat crop production target at 26 million tonnes on an estimated area of 8.91 million hectares.
The Committee reviewed the performance of Kharif crops 2014-15 and production plan for Rabi crops 2014-15 along with discussing the supply of agricultural inputs for Rabi crop 2014-15.
The Committee was informed sugarcane production for 2014-15 was estimated at 64.74 million tonnes from an area of 1.13 million hectares. The rice crop 2014-15 production was estimated around 6.72 million tonnes from an area of 2.76 million hectares. The production achievements of other crops such as maize, chillies and moong were also discussed in the meeting. However, provincial representatives of Agriculture Department emphasised adequate supply of urea and phosphate fertilizers during November-December. The target for gram 2014-15 production was also fixed at 0.72 million tonnes from an area of 0.99 million hectares. The target for onion crop 2014-15 was at 2 million tonnes and Potato crop 2014-15 production target was fixed at 3.56 million tonnes.
The Committee was informed irrigation water availability position for current Rabi season 2014-15 would be satisfactory and the anticipated rainfall would be on optimal level except in some areas of Sindh.
The Committee was informed certified wheat seed availability would be 25 percent of the requirements. The representative of State Bank of Pakistan informed allocations of institutional credit for agriculture had substantially increased to Rs 500 billion for 2014-15 in comparison with the last 2013-14 level of Rs 380 billion.
The Committee noted with relief supply of pesticides/herbicides would be satisfactory for 2014-15 Rabi season. The current projections for urea fertilizer put the estimated availability at 2.49 million tonnes against it’s estimated off take off 3.1 million tonnes with a confirmed import of 0.185 million tonnes. It was however, crucial all the imports of urea were completed in time and fertilizer manufacturing units produce sufficient urea for requirements in December and January. The supply of DAP for Rabi 2014-15 season was reported at 1,024 thousand tonnes against its requirements of 800 thousand tonnes.
Provincial agriculture departments, Zarai Taraqiati Bank Ltd, National Fertilizer Development Centre and senior officers of Ministry of National Food Security and Research attended the meeting.
Chairman Pakistan Agricultural Research Council, Director General National Agricultural Research Centre and heads of Ministry’s attached departments such as Agriculture Policy Institute, Federal Seed Certification and Registration Department, Department of Plant Protection, Federal Water Management, Pakistan Oilseed Development Board and Pakistan Agriculture Storage and Services Corporation also participated in the meeting.
