Another setback noticed at the Federal Agriculture Committee (FCA) meeting here was downward revision of sugarcane production from 50 million tons to 45.9 million tons, indicating that the lingering sugar price crisis would continue to pressurise the market, at least for another year.
A ''moderate'' rise in the production of rice and maize during Kharif and better performance by some minor crops--gram, potato and onion--in the coming Rabi season on the pattern of last year were the areas the government hoped could help sustain 7.5 percent agri sector growth during 2005-06.
Briefing newspersons after the FCA meeting, Agriculture Minister Sikandar Hayat Khan Bosan said that the focus was to make sure the provision of inputs including certified seeds and fertilisers.
The minister ruled out any significant impact of October 8 earthquake in parts of Azad Jammu and Kashmir and NWFP on agriculture, saying that the affected areas did not contribute much to both crop and livestock sectors.
The FCA is a high powered body to fix and review production targets for various crops. It meets twice a year--at the start of both Rabi and Kharif seasons.
Bosan said every crops was being given special attention by increasing area under cultivation, providing certified seeds, credits to small farmers and other inputs.
WHEAT: Encouraged by all-time high 21.6 million tons yield last year, the FCA had fixed at 22 million tons outcome for the major food grain this season.
The area under wheat cultivation had also been estimated at 8.4 million hectares, a slight increase as compared with last year, the minister said.
WATER SITUATION: A representative of Indus River System Authority (Irsa), present in the meeting, informed the committee that water availability for Rabi would be ''satisfactory'' this year, Bosan said.
He added that according to Irsa estimates total 30 million acre-feet (maf) water, against 23 maf of last year, would be available for Rabi 2005-06.
GRAM: A target of 0.58 million tons had been set from an area 1.063 million hectares, the minister said.
POTATO and ONION: 1.888 million and 1.666 million tons were the respective targets set for potato and onion from an area of 0.11 million and 0.1219 million hectares respectively, he added.
INPUT SITUATION: Wheat seed availability is 215,766 tons against the last year''s 193,444 tons. This indicates improvement of 12 percent.
Urea fertiliser availability for Rabi crop is estimated at 2.75 million tons. This includes domestic production of 2.3 million tons and import of 0.45 million tons. The requirements are estimated at 2.65 million tons.
The availability of DAP for Rabi is 0.817 million tons against the requirements of 0.747 million tons.