STAFF REPORT ISB: Pakistan will reap a bumper wheat crop this year and surplus the target, as harvesting is continuing in Sindh, where production is expected to exceed four million tons, agriculture scientists said.
“There are places where 70 to 80 maunds per acre wheat has been produced while at other places 50 to 60 maunds per acre has been harvested,” National Coordinator (Wheat), Dr Atiq-ur-Rehman Rattu, said.He was of the view that conducive weather conditions and new wheat varieties introduced by the agriculture scientists helped achieve bumper crop.
PARC Chairman Dr Iftikhar Ahmad, while commenting on the bumper crop perspectives, lauded the efforts of scientists for introducing new crop varieties to ensure food security in the country. “The PARC has recently introduced four more new rust-resisting wheat crop varieties including a bio-fortified variety having 50% zinc that would benefit not only to the farmers but to the whole population in consuming healthy food,” he remarked.