Govt sets 10.7m bales cotton target

ISLAMABAD: Sardar Yar Muhammad Rind, the federal minister for food and agriculture, said that the cotton production target for the year 2004-05 will be 10.7 million bales.

While briefing reporters about the decision of Federal Committee on Agriculture, which was held here on Saturday under his chairmanship, Mr Rind said the wheat production position is satisfactory and estimated production is likely to be 20.1 million tonnes, more than 0.1 million tonnes against the set target of 19.1 million tonnes.

He said wheat production would be 20.1 million tones during the current season. Its harvesting is going on in full swing which has also normalized market prices.

He said target for rice production has been enhanced from 4.8 million tonnes (2003) to 5.1 million tonnes in the next kharif season.

The minister said the target of sugarcane has been reduced by 1.9 million tonnes from 52.6 million tonnes to 50.7 million tonnes due to less domestic consumption.

The production target of maize has been enhanced and it is fixed at 2.1 million tonnes against 1.9 million tonnes of the previous year.

The FAC also increased the estimated production target of potato from 1.9 million tonnes to 2.1 million tonnes during the next season.

Mr Rind said that credit sealing for farmers has also been enhanced from Rs 62 billion to Rs 65.6 billion during the current fiscal year.

He said water availability for cotton sowing season will be lower by four percent but it would normalise after the monsoon season. —APP

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