Wheat output target set at 29.68m tonnes for 2025-26 Rabi season

ISLAMABAD: Pakistan on Friday set an ambitious wheat production target of 29.68 million tonnes for the 2025-26 Rabi season, even as sugarcane and rice yields rose modestly during the outgoing Kharif season—falling short of the pace of expansion in cultivated areas, the Federal Committee on Agriculture (FCA) said.

Chaired by Federal Minister for National Food Security and Research Rana Tanveer Hussain, the FCA reviewed the performance of Kharif crops 2024-25 and finalized production goals for Rabi 2025-26. The committee, which meets twice a year, includes representatives from provincial agriculture departments, the Indus River System Authority (IRSA), and the Pakistan Meteorological Department. According to official estimates, sugarcane production reached 84.7 million tons from 1.146 million hectares, reflecting a 5.9 percent rise in output and 5.5 percent increase in area over earlier targets. Rice production was estimated at 9.417 million tons from 3.039 million hectares, up 2.7 percent in output and 21.9 percent in area, while mung bean output rose slightly to 150,000 tons, a 1.2 percent increase from last year.

For the upcoming Rabi season, the Ministry of National Food Security and Research set additional production targets for gram (393,000 tons), potato (8.916 million tons), onion (2.788 million tons), and tomato (659,000 tons). Hussain said a new wheat policy has been finalized to ensure fair support prices and profitability for farmers. “This policy reflects the government’s commitment to safeguarding farmers’ interests and achieving self-sufficiency in staple food commodities,” he added.