Better rice production expected in Pakistan this season; claims FAO

The Food and Agriculture Organisation (FOA) of the United Nations has reported that rice production for this next season in Pakistan will reach about 9.7 million tons. It is much improved figure as compared to the last year’s production
but is still lower than the bumper harvests of 2008 and 2009.

Despite of massive destruction suffered by severe floods and heavy rain in lower Punjab and Sindh region, the FOA claims that rice production will be touching the 10 million tons mark this season. The report from the organisation
also mentions that being the fifth largest rice exporter of the world, such improved production this season will also result in potential exportable surplus for Pakistan in 2012 to be around three million tons of rice.

According to the report, bumper cereal harvest has been estimated despite floods in parts of the country this year. The total production estimate for maize, sorghum and millet is put at 4.1 million tons. In 2011, wheat crop reached
a record level of 24.3 million tons, some 4.2 per cent higher than the previous year’s above-average output, reflecting favourable weather, subsidized fertilizers and a government implemented minimum support purchase price of Rs950 per 40kg.

After the rising trend in export prices, the domestic prices of rice also rose last month, reaching a level 28 per cent above the rates that prevailed in November 2011. Being the core of rice exports from Pakistan, prices of the
Basmati rice have on been a rise since August 2010. The report by FOA further mentioned that the food supply situations in Pakistan are satisfactory and relatively good harvests are anticipated in the coming years.

However, the country has been struck by devastating floods and heavy rainfall for the second year in a row. The natural disasters have taken a huge toll out of the millions of farmers and livestock holders. It is expected that
the government take some substantial steps in the next year to mitigate the chances of such serious floods otherwise, the agriculture sector of the country will certainly go for a serious crash fi same floods keep hitting the country in the coming years. 

Short URL: https://www.newspakistan.pk/?p=7518

Posted by Farhan Hameed on Dec 28 2011. Filed under Business, Pakistan. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0. You can leave a response or trackback to this entry