Wheat production likely to surpass 27.5m tons

Review committee discusses stock position, procurement progress

ISLAMABAD:

Wheat production is estimated to surpass 27.5 million tons this year, according to the Wheat Review Committee.

During a meeting on Monday, chaired by Minister for National Food Security and Research Syed Fakhar Imam, the officials discussed latest wheat production estimates, stock position, carry forward and procurement progress and update on release price and minimum support price.

Speaking on the occasion, the minister said that every year almost five to six million people were added to Pakistan’s population, which increased the total demand for wheat in the country.

He said that through managing the controllable factors, which included availability of high-quality seed that was rust-resistant and certified, effective utilisation of water and proper use of fertilisers and pesticides, the overall production of wheat could be increased significantly.

He stressed that both the overall area under cultivation and per hectare yield needed to be increased.

He sensitised the provincial food departments about the timely finalisation of the minimum support price. Imam said that for the minimum support price to be effective it should be finalised before the sowing season of wheat. He was briefed that provinces had submitted their minimum support price proposals and were awaiting cabinet approval.

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Imam was told that Punjab and Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa (K-P) had finalised their wheat release policy at Rs1,950 per 40 kg whereas the retail price would be Rs1,100 per 20 kg while the province of Sindh had yet to get final approval from its cabinet for the wheat release policy.

The federal minister was apprised by the provincial agricultural departments of the latest production figures of wheat. Punjab’s production is estimated at 20.9 million tons, Sindh’s production at 4.04 million tons, whereas K-P and Gilgit-Baltistan’s production estimates stand at 1.45 million tons and 1.15 million tons respectively.

Total wheat stock available with Punjab stands at 3.86 million tons, Sindh at 1.26 million tons, K-P at 0.18 million tons and Balochistan at 0.085 million tons.

Imam said that the government had been focusing on availability of certified seed and for the upcoming season, around 530,000 tons of seed would be available including 160,000 tons of rust-tolerant varieties.

The minister stressed the need for announcing the minimum support price well before the start of sowing season. He said that the government’s enhancement of support price from Rs1,400 to Rs1,800 produced a good result, which helped the country in harvesting the highest crop (27.5 million tons).

Published in The Express Tribune, September 28^th, 2021.

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