MULTAN: Special Secretary Agriculture, Syed Gulzar Hussain Shah has said that wheat production could be lower than expected this year in Punjab largely due to climatic conditions, but the situation would benefit farmers financially by ensuring good returns to them.
In a release issued by Punjab agriculture department on Tuesday, the Special Secretary Agriculture, who is conducting visits to different districts to personally monitor wheat procurement process, said that the situation would enable farmers to sell wheat at the support price of Rs 1300 per maund.
Agriculture spokesman Naveed Asmat Kahlon attributed the lower than expected wheat yield to weather related factors including low temperature in March, rains and hailstorms indifferent parts of Punjab, besides dust storm that caused wheat crop lodging.
The spokesman said that in 2013-14 Punjab produced 19.739 million ton wheat from 17.054 million acre area at an average per acre yield of 31.01 maunds when support price was Rs 1200 per maund. In 2014-15, the sowing target was set at 16.500 million acre with production assessment of 19.541 million ton as the officials had hoped that the average per acre yield would be 31.66 maunds.
However, the officials engaged in monitoring on-going wheat harvest and subsequent procurement suggest that this year wheat production could be less than last year’s and lower than assessments due to adverse climatic conditions. He added that wheat was sown over an area of 17.075 million acres–well above the sowing target of 16.500 million acres.
Support price this year is Rs 1300 per maund, and the situation would financially benefit wheat farmers. Agriculture spokesman said that Punjab government has made foolproof arrangements to ensure that farmers get support price of wheat. He also urged the farmers to bring their wheat stocks to procurement centres to get good returns instead of selling it to middle men at lower prices.
