islamabad
Pakistan will reap a bumper wheat crop this year and surplus the target, as harvesting is continuing in Sindh, where production is expected to exceed four million tons, agriculture scientists, who are travelling with ‘Wheat Travelling Seminar 2015’, said this after observing the promising yield in the province.
“There are places where 70 to 80 maunds per acre wheat has been produced while at other places 50 to 60 maunds per acre has been harvested,” National Coordinator (Wheat), Dr Atiq-ur-Rehman Rattu said.
He was of the view that conducive weather conditions and new wheat varieties introduced by the agriculture scientists helped achieve bumper crop. “There had been no increase in the sowing area, however favourable climate and high yielding varieties introduced by Pakistan Agricultural Research Council (PARC) collectively worked to achieve the maximum productivity.  The Wheat Travelling Seminar 2015 that started from Southern Agricultural Research Centre (SARC) Karachi reached Punjab province after travelling through various agricultural research institutes, private sector seed companies and farmers’ fields of Sindh and Balochistan provinces including fields at Hyderabad, Mirpurkhas, Tandojam, Sakrand, Sukker Jhal Magsi and Jafarabad. The seminar will pass through Rahim Yar Khan, Bahawalpur, Multan, Khanewal, Kala Shah Kaku, Faisalabad and will conclude in Peshawar Khyber Pakhtunkhwa. Quoting various progressive farmers, Dr. Rattu said that the wheat varieties released by the PARC have produced promising results.
Meanwhile, Chairman PARC Dr Iftikhar Ahmad, while commenting on the bumper crop perspectives, lauded the efforts of the scientists for introducing new crop varieties to ensure food security in the country. “The PARC has recently introduced four more new rust-resisting wheat crop varieties including a bio-fortified variety having 50% zinc that would benefit not only to the farmers but to the whole population in consuming healthy food,” he remarked. International Maize and Wheat Improvement Center’s Dr. Imtiaz, who is also part of the travelling seminar, said that the travelling seminar provided an opportunity to the scientists as well as farmers to learn new things and overcome the problems faced at farm and research levels.

Country Manager International Center for Agriculture Research in Dry Area (ICARDA), Dr Abdul Majeed assured PARC of full support in its efforts to promote agriculture research and ensure food secure future for coming generations.
Country Representative Harvest Plus, Dr Qadir Bux Baloch said that PARC has been playing pivotal role for the promotion of agriculture sector through research. Member Plant Sciences PARC, Dr. Shahid Masood said that PARC would provide technical assistance to the farmers all across the country to help enhance per acre yield.
It is pertinent to mention her that the moot has been organized by Pakistan Agricultural Research Council (PARC) in collaboration with US Department of Agriculture (USDA), International Maize and Wheat Improvement Center (CIMMYT), International Center for Agricultural Research in the Dry Area (ICARDA) and other national partners.