Punjab has exceeded production targets of rice and sugar for FY 2012-13, provincial Agriculture Officials told Business Recorder here on Tuesday. They said Punjab produced 3.4 million tons of rice against the target of three million tons this year. Its sugar mills will produce 4.3 million tons of sweeteners during the ongoing crushing season against the target of four million tons making the country surplus in sugar.

They said that late monsoon rains in August/September greatly helped the two water intensive crops though cotton crops in DG Khan, Rajanpur and Rahimyar Khan Districts were badly damaged reducing the cotton from 10 million bales to 9.6 million bales. Director General Agriculture Extension Services Dr Anjum Ali said Punjab had achieved 95 percent wheat sowing target in the rice growing areas of Central Punjab and rain fed (Barani) areas.

Copyright Business Recorder, 2012