Agri Forum Pakistan (AFP) Chairman Muhammad Ibrahim Mughal has said that recent spell of rains will help growers a lot to save up to Rs 10 billion, which otherwise they have to spend on diesel or electricity to irrigate their crops. While talking to media here on Friday, Mughal said that at present wheat is standing over 20 million acres of land, gram on 2.5 million acres, mustard on one million acres, fodders on one million acres.

While the present spell of rain will also benefit orchards standing on 1.3 million acres across the country, he added. "Recent rain spell will benefit these crops and orchards a lot and production may increase by five to eight percent", AFP chairman hoped. Ibrahim Mughal advised the growers that if they had not used phosphorus based fertiliser while sowing Rabi season crops then they must apply one bag DAP per acre taking advantage of rain water plus half bag Urea per acre.

He said that growers should also take well care of fodder crops for livestock while taking advantage of present spell of rain start sowing sunflower and maize crops. In his opinion, sunflower should be sown over one million acres and maize on 1.5 million acres of land during the current season so as to save Rs 300 billion being spent on import of edible oil.

Copyright Business Recorder, 2012