Wheat crop output set to exceed target

ISLAMABAD: Pakistan is set to harvest a bumper wheat crop and even exceed the production target of 26 million tonnes set for this year, as the weather was conducive and the farmers used new varieties, said agriculture scientists
Travelling in various provinces under ‘Wheat Travelling Seminar 2015’, they said harvesting continues in Sindh province and production is expected to exceed four million tonnes in the province.
“There are places where 70 to 80 maund/acre wheat has been produced while at other places 50 to 60 maund/acre has been harvested,” said Dr Atiq-ur-Rehman Rattu, National Coordinator (Wheat).
The Federal Committee on Agriculture set the wheat production target at 26 million tonnes from crop cultivation over an area of 8.91 million hectares in the season for 2014-15.
The farmers used the varieties introduced by the scientists of the Pakistan Agricultural Research Council (PARC).
The Wheat Travelling Seminar 2015 that started from Southern Agricultural Research Centre (SARC) Karachi reached to Punjab after travelling through various agricultural research institutes, private sector seed companies and farmers fields of Sindh and Balochistan provinces.
Chairman PARC Dr Iftikhar Ahmad lauded the efforts of the scientists for introducing new crop varieties to ensure food security in the country.
“The PARC has recently introduced four more new rust-resisting wheat crop varieties, including a bio-fortified variety, having 50 percent zinc that would benefit not only to farmers but to the whole population,” Dr Ahmed remarked.
International Maize and Wheat Improvement Center Dr Imtiaz, who is also part of the travelling seminar, said the seminar provided an opportunity to the scientists as well as farmers to learn new things and overcome the problems faced at farm and research levels.
Country Manager International Center for Agriculture Research in Dry Area Dr Abdul Majeed assured PARC of its efforts to promote agriculture research and ensure food secure future for the coming generations.