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Wheat target likely to be achieved, says Junejo
ISLAMABAD- The country, despite severe shortage of irrigation
water and drought conditions in rain-fed areas, is likely to
achieve wheat production target of 20 million tonnes.
"The crop condition in southern and central Punjab and wheat
growing areas of other provinces is so far quite
satisfactory," Federal Food and Agriculture Minister Khair
Mohammad Junejo told Dawn.
Junejo, who visited different parts of the country during the
last one week, said the wheat crop had not yet been affected
by some 60 per cent shortage of irrigation water in the canal
irrigated areas and lack of rain in arid region of northern
Punjab.
Last year, the country had achieved 19.4 million tonnes of
wheat though the irrigation water had been short by 40 per
cent. However, growers in the arid region of Punjab depicted a
very dismal picture of crop situation. The people in these
areas, where the economy is almost 100 per cent dependent on
rains, have been facing serious economic hardships because of
very little or no rains in the last two winters, Mohammad Riaz,
a grower from Chakwal district said.
The minister also agreed that the wheat crop might suffer if
the country did not receive rains in the current month. "We
are expecting rains by the end of this month and one or two
showers will have positive effect on the crop," he added.
Riaz said it was not only the wheat crop which had been
suffering because of the lack of rains but also all the
agriculture-related activity, including live stock in the
region, which contributes about 20 per cent in the total wheat
production of the country, has been affected.
"In winter, if we receive three to four showers, we can match
per acre yield of canal irrigated areas," he added. He
lamented that last year they could not even get hay from the
crop due to drought which caused formidable difficulties in
sustaining the live stocks.
Riaz regretted that there was no cognizance of their plight by
the government and the urban population which could not
survive without agricultural produce. Riaz said the prices of
fodder for cattle and other live stock had also gone up
sharply owing to drought. The water-table in the region has
also gone down by the expansion of urban centres and misuse of
water, he added.
"In urban centres people are celebrating Valentine Day and
Basant, while the people in rural areas are suffering," he
added.
Courtesy Daily Dawn 16 February 2002
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Pakissan.com;
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