Agricultural experts revealed on Monday that the ongoing rains will benefit all seasonal major and minor crops, including the growth of fruits, and vegetables.
The rains will be especially beneficial to wheat, which is a major profit crop and a primary component of staple food in the country.
The Food Security Commissioner, Dr. Imtiaz Ali Gopang, remarked that wheat sown in rain-fed areas, as well as oil seeds, such as mustard and canola, will benefit from the rains as it will nourish the seeds, helping them germinate.
Additionally, winter’s second rain will improve irrigation across the country by raising the water level in storage resources and reducing water deficiency.
He expressed hope in the aspect of wheat crops being able to reach the current season’s yield targets, especially in the rain-fed regions in Punjab, Balochistan, and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (PK).
Sindh and Punjab have already begun delivering free seeds to flood-stricken regions, which will assist the afflicted areas in restarting agricultural activities and meeting crop growth targets as well as producing surplus output.
Meanwhile, Dr. Ghulam Muhammad Ali, the chairperson of the Pakistan Agriculture Research Council (PARC), also stressed the positive impact of the rain saying that since wheat is at the germination stage, these rains are highly favorable. They will help boost the plant’s health and increase local yield during the season.
The rains would also benefit wheat planted in the Potohar and other rain-fed regions of the country, where a huge number of small-scale farmers produce various minor crops and seasonal vegetables.
According to statistics, wheat plantation on approximately 13.9% of the territory in Punjab has been completed, with crop cultivation increasing by roughly 0.1% over the same period last year.
Via Tribune
