STAFF REPORT IBD: Pakistan is likely to miss wheat production target of 25 million tons set for 2013-2014 as growers have reduced the area under wheat cultivation following the provincial governments failure to increase wheat support price.
Wheat support price is generally announced before the start of its sowing season aimed to encourage farmers to cultivate wheat but the provincial governments refused to increase this price which is Rs 1200 per 40kg.
“It is the responsibility of the provincial governments to announce the wheat support price in last week of September or first week October but their failure to increase the support price is the reason why the country will miss wheat production target this year,” said Chairman Agriculture Forum Pakistan Ibrahim Mughal.
He said that if the provincial governments fail to increase the support price up to Rs 1500 prior to harvesting in May farmers are unlikely to sell wheat to PASSCO and the food departments thereby compelling the government to import over one million tons of wheat to meet domestic demand.