Pakistan’s wheat output target likely to fall by 1.7m tonnes

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Updated: March 12, 2023 02:46 IS

Islamabad (Pakistan), March 12 (ANI): Pakistan you will probably miss the wheat production target at 1.7 million tons for the current fiscal year, reported The News International.
Wheat production likely to remain around 26.7 million tonnes against forecast wheat production target of 28.4 million tons.
Authorities said on Friday that wheat production in Punjab will experience a major hit during the current fiscal year 2022-23, amid negative impacts from climate change as well as crop substitutionplanting other crops besides wheat for profitability, reported The News International.
Furthermore, it is coming wheat shortage in the next fiscal year as well and the government will have to count on the import of wheat to satisfy the internal needs of basic foods.
Wheat imports are set to see a surge at a time when the country is facing the worst dollar liquidity crisis in history.

“There will be no choice but to import 3-3.5 million tons of wheat for the next fiscal year to meet Afghan and national requirements. This is more than the import target of 2.6 million tons of wheat for the current fiscal year. year,” senior official sources confirmed while speaking to The News International.
In addition, the Met office has forecast heavy rains for two weeks, beginning in the third week of March, which will affect wheat production.
even the expected wheat production target falls into the danger zone as the Met Office recently shared its forecast with the Ministry of National Food Safety and Research that the country could witness different periods of heat waves in the next three months, including March, April and May 2023 .
The heat wave had a negative impact on wheat production by at least 10 to 12 percent in the last financial year.
Official data available with The News International revealed that the government had sought a wheat planting area target of 22.85 million acres in the country for the 2022-23 fiscal year, including a planting target of 16.48 million. of acres in Punjab.
But only 16.01 million acres could be planted in the province as of the latest compiled estimates, showing a 97.17 percent target achievement.
If the anticipated wheat production remains around 26 million tons, the government will have to import at least 3.5-4 million tons of wheat in the next fiscal year at a time when the country is experiencing a severe liquidity crisis in the dollar, The News reported. International. (ME TOO)