Wheat sowing completed in 97pc areas: Senate Committee told

ISLAMABAD: Senate Standing Committee on National Food Security and Research on Thursday was informed that wheat cultivation had been completed in over 97.74 per cent areas as against the set targets for current sowing season.

The Committee met here with Senator Syed Muzaffar Hussain Shah in the chair and discussed the different issued related to agriculture sector in the country.

Briefing the committee, Food Security commissioner told that wheat crop had been cultivated over 8742.29 thousand hectares as against the set target of 8944.6 thousand hectares for the crop season 2017-18.

He said that Punjab province had achieved 98.13 per cent of its cultivation targets as the crop has been cultivated over 6512.88 thousand hectares as against the set target of 6637 hectares.

Meanwhile, Sindh has completed crop sowing over 95.18 per cent as it had cultivated wheat over 1094.55 thousand hectares as against the set targets of 1169.1 thousand hectares.

The meeting was informed that wheat crop sowing in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and FATA areas was completed over 765.6 thousand hectares and about 101 .04 per cent targets of crop cultivation had been achieved during this sowing season.

Meanwhile, wheat sowing in Balochistan was in progress, whereas it had achieved 92.32 per cent of set targets and the crop had been cultivated over 369.26 thousand hectares of land in the province, the committee was informed.

Speaking on the occasion, Committee Chairman called for taking measures to facilitate the small growers and fulfilling their credit requirements on control rates.

The meeting was attended by the Senators Mohsin Khan Leghari, Gul Bashra and Hamza, besides National Food Security and Research Minister and senior officials attended the meeting.