STAFF REPORT IBD: The area of wheat crop under cultivation decreased by 2.53 per cent during 2010-2011 over the previous year largely due to problems faced by the farmers in terms of disposal of wheat produced in 2009-2010, shifting of area to cotton and sugarcane crops in irrigated tracts, late crushing by sugar mills, and considerable increase in potato crop.
“The wheat sowing area in 2010-11 declined considerably because farmers were unable to sell their wheat at the support price announced by the government,” reveals a report of Pakistan Bureau of Statistics.
This resulted in discouraging farmers from sowing wheat and they shifted to other crops, the document reveals.
Farmers in irrigated areas were inclined to bring more area under cotton and sugarcane crops as they did not get the announced support price as well as due to lucrative market prices of cotton and sugarcane.
Late crushing by sugar mills and considerable increase in potato crop were the other main factors for a decrease in sowing area of wheat crop in 2010-2011. However, wheat output showed an increase of 8.16 percent in 2010-2011 as compared to 2009-2010.