Rain-hit areas: Complete wheat sowing by Nov: expert

Meteorological Department advised farmers of rain-fed areas of Punjab to complete wheat sowing before November 30.

ISLAMABAD: Pakistan Meteorological Department Director General Arif Mehmood on Wednesday advised farmers of rain-fed areas of Punjab, particularly Potohar region and Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa to complete wheat sowing before November 30. Crop cultivated after that may cause considerable reduction in yield due to delay, added Mehmood. In case of late sowing, the recommended varieties should be cultivated to minimise the loss in yield, he added.  Wheat cultivation is in progress across the country, however, farmers of irrigated plains of Punjab, Sindh and K-P are advised to complete sowing up to December 15 to get maximum yield. Alternatively, farmers in these areas can cultivate sunflower in January.

Published in The Express Tribune, November 10^th,  2011.