Punjab wheat sowing nears completion, 99% of 16.5 million-acre target achieved

Punjab has sown 98–99 percent of its 16.5 million-acre wheat target for 2025-26, with full coverage expected soon, officials said Friday. Some areas remain under sugarcane harvest but will be cleared in the coming days, according to Dr Anjum Ali Buttar of the Punjab Agriculture Department.

Director General Naveed Asmat Kahloon said all agricultural inputs, including fertilizers, were provided in abundance, while a zero-tolerance policy is enforced against counterfeit pesticides and fertilizers. Experts described current weather conditions as favorable for wheat, though they cautioned that circumstances may change.

The provincial government is running wheat production competitions to encourage higher yields. Provincial winners will receive tractors — 85-hp, 75-hp, 60-hp — while district winners will get Rs1 million, Rs0.8 million, and Rs0.5 million. Officials said these measures, combined with ongoing sowing, should help Punjab reach its 22 million-ton wheat production target.