Water for Kharif

According to some media reports, better water availability during the upcoming Kharif crops, unlike previous years, could help farmers. Ample supply of water in the early Kharif season means sowing of important crops like cotton and rice on a greater area. As snow melt accelerates from June, water availability improves considerably in the late Kharif season. It merits a mention that Kharif sowing starts from April-June and is harvested during October-December. The main Kharif crops include cotton, rice, sugarcane, maize, pulses such as moong, mash, bajra and jowar. Pakistan’s agricultural productivity is primarily dependent upon the timely availability of water, as almost 90 percent of crops are cultivated in the irrigated zone.

It is pertinent to note that a better water situation is being foreseen for the forthcoming Kharif season compared to the previous one due to better hydro-meteorological scenarios. Both the water reservoirs of Tarbela and Mangla dams are expected to be filled to maximum level after meeting all irrigation requirements during Kharif season.

Khan Faraz

Peshawar