The prevailing spell of heavy rains in Pakistan, which weather experts attribute to global climate changes, has brought increased concerns for the agricultural sector as the country\u2019s wheat crop is ready for harvesting and the wet weather is feared to adversely impact the expected wheat yield. The country produces around 25 million tons of wheat annually, but its yield has been affected in recent years due to erratic weather patterns and water shortages. However, the excessive rains have also caused flooding and damage to crops in some parts of the country. The floods have affected the wheat crop in the Punjab and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa provinces, where the crop is ready for harvesting. The heavy rainfall can lead to waterlogging, which can cause damage to the crop. It can also result in the spread of diseases, which can further impact the wheat yield.
\nThis damage to the wheat crop is a major concern for food security in the country, as it could lead to a shortage of wheat and a rise in prices. If the prevailing atmospheric condition continues through end of March, the wheat crop will be impacted and yields would at worst be on a par and lesser than last year\u2019s low, said Ministry of National Food Security and Research in an survey note issued last week. The recent rains have damaged an estimated 1.7 million acres of wheat crop, with over 4.3 percent of crops be damaged in Punjab and 1.7 percent in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa. The survey for the remaining province underway, the ministry has noted. Furthermore, the unprecedented increase in input costs over the last year due to rapid currency devaluation and increase in energy prices is pushing farmers away from the crop upon which hinges the nation\u2019s food security.
\nIn this backdrop, Pakistan is facing a shortfall of 1.7 million tons due to recent rains as the overall target for the year 2023 has fallen from 28.37 million tons to 26.63 million tons. Pakistan is already facing the challenge of food security as almost 58% of the population is food insecure. Now, imagine the scenario where the population will be increasing continuously and food production will be decreasing. Then what would be the situation of food security? It is alarming and scary as it would push the country to import a larger quantity of the wheat over the next several months compared to last year to meet the demand is a forgone conclusion.
\nThe Global Change Impact Study Centre also projects that due to climate change crop seasons are shrinking and shifting. It will have a severe impact on the crop productivity especially wheat crop in future. The provincial and central governments should focus on self-sufficiency in wheat production and build strategic food reserves with friendly policies to ensure reasonable profitability on their produce.
\nIt should work on expanding the seed production horizon to meet the seed requirement of farmers and improve seed varieties and technologies to boost the agriculture sector. The government should also consider providing support to farmers affected by the floods and incentivizing them to grow other crops that are more resistant to floods. The government needs to take swift action to address these concerns and ensure that the country\u2019s food security is not compromised.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
The prevailing spell of heavy rains in Pakistan, which weather experts attribute to global climate changes, has brought increased concerns for the agricultural sector as the country\u2019s wheat crop is ready for harvesting and the wet weather is feared to adversely impact the expected wheat yield. The country produces around 25 million tons of wheat […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[8],"tags":[12473],"class_list":{"0":"post-323593","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","6":"category-editorial","7":"tag-scary-food-scenario"},"yoast_head":"\n