Pakistan likely to achieve 24.2mt wheat crop, 3.2% behind target

The government is likely to achieve 24.2 million tones wheat production target against 25 million tones, showing a 3.2 percent shortfall of the target, sources told Daily Times here on Monday.

The expected wheat crop (24.2 million tons) was obtained over sowing areas of 8.89 million hector sowing area against the target of 9.045 million hectors set for the year 2010-11. According to the estimates, Punjab province produce 18.2 million tones wheat crop against the target of 19.205 million tones, showing 5.23 percent shortfall. The Sindh province’s expected wheat crop is 4.2 million against its production target of 3.682 million tones showing 14 percent extra production over its target set for the year 2010-11, the sources maintained.

The Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KPK) province’s expected wheat crop is 1.1 million tones against its target 1.210 million tones showing a 9 percent shortfall while Balochistan’s anticipated wheat crop is 0.720 million tones against the target of 0.903 million tones, showing a 20% shortfall.

The wheat production target—25 million tones—for 2010-11 was set in Federal Committee on Agriculture (FCA) meeting held on Nov, 1 2010 for ongoing Rabi season, the sources maintained. The harvesting of wheat crop both in Sindh and Punjab has already imitated and food department is procuring wheat at the prescribed official rate of Rs 950 per 40 kg. The government had decided to procure 6.57 million tones wheat crop during 2011. According tot the plan, PASSCO has to procure 1.3 million tones, Punjab 3.5 million tones, Sindh 1.3 million tones, KPK 0.4 million tones and Balochistan has to procure 0.7 million tones wheat crop.

The government made a record increase in the support price of wheat to Rs 950/ 40 kg for year 2008-09 against Rs 425/ 40 kg in the preceding year. The support price resulted in record production of about 24 million tones of wheat during 2008-09 and 23.3 million tones during 2009-10, making the country self-sufficient.

Officials in the Ministry of Food and Agriculture said under Rabi Assistance Plan 2010, Rs 4.101 billion was distributed among the provinces including AJK and GB for rehabilitation of their land affected by 2010 devastated flood.

The timely US contribution of $62 million allowed the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) to distribute wheat seeds to flood stricken areas of Pakistan.

Through the US Agency for International Development (USAID), the American people provided FAO with $21 million for Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, $25 million in Punjab, and $16 million in Balochistan. The assistance also included fertilizer, and cash-for-work programs to clear irrigation canals blocked by silt from the floods. Apart from USAID, FAO, a number of non-government organisation also provided different packages to farmers during sowing wheat season, the officials added. Keeping in view such packages, getting 24.2 million tones wheat crop is not sufficient and there was need that it might cross the target of 25 million tones.

Officials in the Ministry of Food and Agriculture told Daily Times that country’s total wheat requirement is 24 million tones for the year 2011. Last year, the wheat production recorded 23.3 million tones while the carry-forward stock was 4.2 million tones, which makes total availability of 27.5 million tones. Due to surplus quantity of wheat and better price in the international market, the government had decided to export 3 million tones wheat during 2010-11 with about one million tones exported through private sector. The private sector was given wheat from government stock at the rate of about Rs 1000 per 40 kg and it was exported to Bangladesh, Malaysia, Yemen and Vietnam.

According to rough estimated, the officials claimed that currently, wheat price at international market is about Rs 30940 per tone while the government purchased prices is Rs 23750 per tone at Rs 950 per 50 kg value.