ISLAMABAD: The Federal Committee on Agriculture (FCA) on Thursday reviewed the performance of Kharif crops 2025–26 and approved the production targets for Rabi crops 2025–26. The meeting, chaired by Federal Minister for National Food Security and Research Rana Tanveer Hussain, was attended by provincial agriculture ministers, secretaries, and senior officials from federal and provincial departments.
The FCA reviewed the overall agricultural situation, including production, seed and water availability, weather forecasts, and the performance of major Kharif crops such as sugarcane, rice, and pulses.
According to data shared during the meeting, sugarcane production for 2025–26 is provisionally estimated at 84.7 million tons from an area of 1.146 million hectares, showing an increase of 5.5% in area and 5.9% in production over the previous targets. Rice production stood at 9.417 million tons from 3.039 million hectares, marking an increase of 21.9% in area and 2.7% in production. Similarly, mungbean output was estimated at 150.8 thousand tons from 170.6 thousand hectares, representing a 22.9% rise in area and 1.2% in production compared to last year.
For the upcoming Rabi season, the Ministry of National Food Security and Research proposed a wheat production target of 29.678 million tons from 9.648 million hectares. Production targets for gram, potato, onion, and tomato were set at 393, 8,916, 2,788, and 659 thousand tons, respectively.
The committee also reviewed seed availability, with the Federal Seed Certification and Registration Department (FSC&RD) reporting that certified seed supplies for Rabi 2025–26 would remain satisfactory.
Regarding water availability, the IRSA Advisory Committee indicated that no shortage is anticipated for Punjab and Sindh during the Rabi season, with provinces allocated 33.814 million acre-feet (MAF) of water.
The Pakistan Meteorological Department informed that below-normal precipitation is expected in most parts of the country during November and December, while near-normal rainfall is likely in January 2026. It also clarified that reports circulating on social media about an “extremely cold winter” are baseless.
The committee also reviewed agricultural credit disbursement, noting that the State Bank of Pakistan (SBP) had allocated an indicative credit target of Rs. 2,572 billion for FY 2025 — an increase of 16.3% over the previous year’s disbursement of Rs. 2,250 billion. Lending institutions collectively disbursed Rs. 2,577 billion, achieving 100.2% of the annual target and recording 16.3% growth compared to Rs. 2,215 billion disbursed during the same period last year.
The availability of fertilizers, including Urea and DAP, was reported to be stable for the upcoming Rabi season (November–December 2025).
The FCA concluded with a review of measures required for ensuring smooth input supply, water distribution, and timely crop management for the Rabi season.
