Wheat sowing over 85 percent area completed in Punjab

Wheat sowing over 14 million acres has been completed in Punjab which is 85 percent of the targeted 16 million acres to produce 19 million tons of wheat during 2013-14 Rabi season, Director General Agriculture Extension Services Dr Anjum Ali told Business Recorder here on Wednesday.
He said the wheat sowing has been going on according to schedule in the province that produces 80 percent of the total staple food of the nation. Director General Pakistan Meteorological Department Dr Arif Mahmood told this scribe that mainly dry and cold weather is expected in plains of Punjab, Sindh, Balochistan and KPK till 16th December 2013. He advised farmers of irrigated plains of Punjab, Sindh & Khyber Pakhtunkhwa to complete sowing of wheat crop before 15th December to get maximum yield. In case of late sowing in December, the recommended varieties should be cultivated to minimise the expected loss in yield.
Dr Mahmood said wheat sowing is in progress in most of the irrigated areas. Farmers of irrigated areas should irrigate the crop as per requirement due to dry weather prevailing in most of the irrigated agricultural plains of the country. Normally first irrigation is given after 20-25 days after sowing.
Meanwhile, the Indus River System Authority is releasing 1,06,400 cusecs water from the reservoirs and run of the river water for power generation and crop irrigation. 50,000 cusecs water is being released from the Tarbela dam, 40,000 cusecs from Mangla Dam, 8,700 cusecs from river Kabul and River Chanab 7,700 cusecs.

News Source: Business Recorder News Collected: agrinfobank.com Team

Farmers asked to keep fields clear of foliage

Plants, trees, wheat and other crops of the seasons have begun dropping off their leaves, as the Met office on Monday asked the farmers to collect the decaying foliages to help the standing crops go growing unharmed. "Falling of leaves has started from trees beside wheat & other Rabi crops. Farmers should collect leaves from the crops as early as possible so that normal growth may not be disturbed," the Met office advised the farmers.
It said wheat crop is in early growing stages in most of the rain-crop (barani) areas of the country. "Farmers of barani areas, obtaining crop water through tube wells are advised to schedule the irrigation according to the expected weather in the next 10 days".
Wheat cultivation is in progress in most of the irrigated areas, it said, adding that "the farmers of irrigated areas should irrigate the crop as per requirement due to dry weather prevailing in most of the irrigated agricultural plains of the country. Normally first irrigation is given after 20-25 days after sowing".
Farmers of irrigated plains of Punjab, Sindh and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa are advised to complete sowing of wheat crop before Dec 15 to get maximum yield. "In case of late sowing in December, the recommended varieties should be cultivated to minimise the expected loss in yield," it advised.
Weather is expected to remain mainly dry and cold in most parts of Punjab especially in upper parts in the next 10 days, the office forecast.
In Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, it said mainly dry and cold weather (very cold in upper parts) is expected, however, rain/thunderstorm with light snow over the hills may occur at a few places of Malakand division on Dec 2 and mid of the next week.
In Sindh and Balochistan mainly dry weather is expected, the office said.
In Gilgit-Baltistan, it said, mainly dry/partly cloudy and very cold weather is expected in most parts of the province. However, it said, rain/thunderstorm with light snow over the hills may occur at isolated places on Dec 2 and mid of the next week. The office said weather in Kashmir is likely to remain mainly dry/partly cloudy and very cold weather.

News Source Business Recorder   News Collected: agrinfobank.com Team