FAISALABAD:
Agricultural experts and researchers have termed the recent light rainfall as a blessing for the wheat crop, saying the change in weather could help improve grain filling and boost the chances of a bumper harvest this year.
Talking to media persons, Agriculture Extension Director Khalid Mahmood said the light drizzle and mild rainfall recorded on Thursday morning would have a positive impact on the standing wheat crop, which is currently at a critical stage of ripening.
He explained that temperatures had risen to around 33-35°C during the last two to three days, which could have adversely affected the pollination process and reduced grain size.
He said the recent rainfall has lowered the temperature by about 2-3°C, which will improve pollination and result in better grain development. According to him, the ripening stage is highly sensitive for wheat, and if temperatures increase sharply during this period, the crop may suffer from heat stress, potentially affecting production. Sharing details about cultivation targets, Khalid Mahmood said the wheat cultivation target for Punjab was set at 16.5 million acres, but farmers cultivated wheat on 16.7 million acres this year.
In Faisalabad Division, the target was around 1.8 million acres, while the actual cultivation reached 1.867 million acres.
He said the higher cultivated area, good crop stand and proper crop density indicate that the production targets are likely to be achieved.
The official added that most of the wheat crop was sown early in November using approved and climate-resilient varieties such as Dil Kash, Urooj and Akbar, which can tolerate moderate temperature fluctuations.
Mahmood said the government had fixed the wheat support price at Rs3,500 per maund and launched an awareness campaign that encouraged farmers to increase wheat cultivation.
