Punjab Eyes Wheat Output of 24 Million Tons This Year

Punjab is likely to achieve a 13 percent higher wheat production volume of 24 million tons this year compared to last year’s output of 21.2 million tons. Timely sowing and competitive rates had encouraged farmers to cultivate wheat across a bigger area of 17.4 million acres which essentially offset the impact of dry weather. Rain is expected in a week, which might end one of the longest winter dry spells Pakistan has seen in a long time. This year, the majority of the sowing occurred during the period until November 15, 2023, and the use of certified seeds exceeded 50 percent. While the expected output of 24 million tons is four percent lower than the official target of 25 million tons for the 2023-24 season, it would still be the highest yield ever recorded in Punjab. If Punjab succeeds in raising wheat yields as estimated, it will contribute to the production of over 30 million tons of Pakistan’s overall harvest. Importantly, this will substantially decrease the need to import the major staple food. Meanwhile, Agriculture experts have warned that Pakistan’s wheat and other Rabi crops are currently at risk due to the current dry spell. The country had only 1.1 mm of rainfall in December 2023, a 92 percent decrease from the average. The desert and rain-fed regions, which account for approximately 2.8 million acres of wheat farming, have been struck the hardest without adequate rain. More data shows that Punjab received only 0.2 mm of rainfall, which is 98 percent below the average. Sindh received no rain except for traces in Jacobabad, while Balochistan saw 0.8 mm, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa 4.1 mm, Gilgit Baltistan only 0.3 mm, and Azad Jammu & Kashmir 7.4 mm, indicating rough conditions across the board.