20000405

Balochistan wheat

output may fall short

of target

LAILA A ALI

QUETTA: Balochistan wheat production seems to have fallen short of its target for 398,380 tonnes at the upcoming harvest season due to acute water shortage for irrigation.

A spokesman of Balochistan Chamber of Agriculture said here on Tuesday that water was were under constant threat of losing potential and productivity due to extreme aridity, drought, human and livestock pressure.

He said scanty groundwater resources have been ruthlessly exploited beyond development potential in several areas of the provinces.

The spokesman said that agricultural land, rangeland and watersheds are gradually degraded resulting in lose to productivity, floods and erosion of farmland soil.

Replying to a question, he said, another cause for low productivity of wheat in Balochistan is age old irrigation practices resulting in over use of water for agricultural production in the province.

The spokesman said, according to chamber calculation, total irrigated area in the province stands at 1,686,000 hectares. He said 843,000 hectares constituting 50 percent of the total irrigated area are by sailabs (flood) and Khushkaba (water harvesting). This acreage, he pointed out, has been adversely affected by drought like conditions for more than one year in wheat producing plus food and cash crops production areas in the province. Remaining 494,000 (29.30 percent) is by canal irrigation, 235,000 hectares (13.94 percent) by tubewells, 100,000 hectares (5.93 percent) by underground water channels and springs followed by 14,000 hectares (0.83 percent) through wells in the province.

He however, feared that the target of 398,380 tonnes wheat might not be met because shortage of irrigation water and parasite on standing wheat crop ready for the harvest.