SIALKOT
Though the farmers belonging to Bajwat areas linking River Chenab suffered water shortage, they are busy cutting and collecting their crop with the hope that the bumper wheat harvest would remove their economic worries.
The wheat crop in almost all the 85 far-off Bajwat villages along the Sialkot Working Boundary is presenting eye-catching views. These villages had remained a picture of neglect and backwardness due to the lack of communication system.
In Bajwat villages, harvest is in full swing as children and women are lending the hands of the male farmers in the process. The big farmers have their own wheat thrashing machines while the small growers have got such machines on rent to ensure timely completion of harvesting.
Several local farmers including Haji Muhammad Shafi alias Chief Sahib, Ch Ghulam Rasul and Ch Allah Rakha told newsmen that the farmers along the River Chenab belt have suffered great financial crisis because they remained unable to cultivate the seasonal crops including paddy  due to recent flash floods. They said that the land in these villages at the banks of the River Chenab and Rive Tavi is very fertile due to which there is a bumper wheat yield. The farmers of Bajwat remained successful in enhancing their per acre yield from 40 to 45 mounds despite the acute shortage of water, they said.
They added that this enhanced per acres yield has also enhanced their courage. They said that when the two rivers over flow during the rainy and flood season, the water also brings land fertility in these villages which are located along the banks of the River Chenab and River Tavi.
Most of the local farmers were happy that they had finally got a new bridge over River Tavi near Bajwat. They are transporting their wheat to the official procurement centres through the bridge. They hoped that the local farmers would be able to bring their agriculture produce and crops to the local markets and the bridge would open the new vistas of the socio-economic and human development in the villages.
He said that early repairing and reconstruction of the local link and main roads in Bajwat villages is also needed to improve the agri development in the region.
Meanwhile, the food department has made arrangements to start the official wheat procurement from May 2, 2015 at all the nine official wheat procurement centres established in Sialkot district.
Sialkot DOC Malik Abid Awan said that 82,000 metric tonnes of wheat would be purchased from Sialkot district during this season, as the government has ensured direct purchase of wheat yield from direct from the wheat growers through transparent way by curbing the menace of middlemen.
District Food Controller Muhammad Rohail Butt told newsmen that the government would provide maximum facilities for the wheat growers enabling them to bring their wheat yield to the procurement centres.