Pakistan misses wheat production target
ISLAMABAD: Pakistan’s wheat output for Rabi 2024-25 is estimated at 28.42 million tons—15% below the 33.58 million ton target—due to reduced sowing on 9.1 million hectares against the planned 10.368 million hectares. The Federal Committee on Agriculture cited drier conditions and below-average rainfall as key factors. Meanwhile, onion and tomato output rose despite area shrinkage, with optimistic forecasts for cotton, rice, and sugarcane in the Kharif season.
ISLAMABAD: The country has missed the wheat production target as the estimated production of the commodity is 28.42 million tons from an area of 9.1 million hectares against the set target of 33.58 million for the Rabi Season 2024-2025 from an area of 10.368 million hectares of land.
According to provincial governments’ reports, shared during the Federal Committee on Agriculture (FCA) meeting presided over by Federal Minister for National Food Security and Research (MNFS&R) Rana Tanveer Hussain, wheat production for 2024-25 is estimated at 28.42 million tons from an area of 9.1 million hectares; the decrease in production is 10 per cent over the last year.
The FCA during its previous meeting held on November 2024 fixed a wheat crop production target at 33.58 million tons for the Rabi Season 2024-2025 from an area of 10.368 million hectares of land.
The meeting was also informed that onion production for 2024-25 is estimated at 2.7 million tons from an area of 0.17 million hectares, the increase in production is 15.7 per cent, whereas, area decreased 17.3 per cent over the last year. Similarly, tomato production for 2024-25 is estimated 654,000 tons from an area of 53,000 hectares. The increase in production is 8.8 per cent, whereas, the area increased by 4.8 per cent over the last year. The potato production for 2024-25 is estimated 654,000 tons from an area of 53,000 hectares; the increase in production is 8.8 per cent. The FCA reviewed the performance of Rabi crops (2024-25) and fixed targets for the Kharif season 2025-26.
The FCA fixed a production target of cotton 10.18 million bales from area of 2.2 million hecatres. It also fixed a rice production target of 9.17 million tons from over three million hectares of land.
The FCA also fixed the production target of sugarcane for the year 2026-25 at 80.3 million tons over an area of 1.1 million hectares. The committee fixed maize production target at 9.7 million tons production from an area over 1.5 million hectares of land. The targets of other crops including mung, maash, and chillies were also fixed by FCA.
The senior officials of the Pakistan Meteorological Department (PMD) said that during January to April 2025, 39 per cent below average precipitation was recorded. Also, 60 per cent below average precipitation recorded in April with extremely drier conditions over southern half (Sindh and Balochistan).
Overall, the temperature may remain above normal in most parts of the country during January to April, 2025, he said, adding that during May to July, 2025, above normal precipitation is likely over most parts of the country except May.
He said that temperature is expected to remain above normal in most parts of the country during the next three months, except July.
The meeting was attended by the representatives of provincial agriculture departments, IRSA, PMD, State Bank of Pakistan (SBP), Zarai Taraqiati Bank Ltd (ZTBL), National Fertiliser Development Centre (NFDC), Agriculture Policy Institute (API), Federal Seed Certification and Registration Department, Department of Plant Protection (DPP), Federal Water Management, Pakistan Oil Seed Board, Pakistan Agriculture Storage and Services Cooperation, senior official of the MNFS&R, and chairman Pakistan Agricultural Research Council (PARC).
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Source : Business Recorder
