Record water reserves avert Rabi shortage | The Express Tribune

ISLAMABAD:

The government has set a wheat production target of 29.68 million tonnes for the 2025–26 Rabi season.

The Federal Committee on Agriculture (FCA), chaired by Federal Minister for National Food Security and Research Rana Tanveer Hussain, reviewed the performance of the 2025–26 Kharif crops and approved production targets for the upcoming Rabi crops.

The meeting was attended by provincial agriculture ministers, secretaries, and senior officials from both federal and provincial departments.

The Ministry of National Food Security and Research has proposed a wheat production target of 29.68 million tonnes over an area of 9.65 million hectares.

Production targets for gram, potato, onion, and tomato have been set at 393, 8,916, 2,788, and 659 thousand tonnes, respectively.

The ministry has also finalised the wheat policy to ensure that farmers receive fair support prices, allowing them to cover production costs and earn reasonable profits.

The minister said the policy reflects the government’s commitment to protecting farmers’ interests and achieving self-sufficiency in staple food crops.

The committee also reviewed seed availability for Rabi crops. The Director General, Federal Seed Certification and Registration Department (FSC&RD), informed that the availability of certified seed for Rabi 2025-26 will remain satisfactory.

Regarding water availability, the IRSA advisory committee anticipated no shortage of water for Punjab and Sindh during Rabi 2025-26. The provinces have been allocated 33.814 million acre-feet (MAF) of water.

During the meeting, the Committee was informed that sugarcane production for 2025-26 is provisionally estimated at 84.7 million tons from an area of 1.146 million hectares, showing an increase of 5.5% in area and 5.9% in production over the targets fixed by the FCA.

Rice production for 2025-26 is estimated at 9.417 million tons from an area of 3.039 million hectares, indicating an increase of 21.9% in area and 2.7% in production over the set targets. Similarly, mungbean production for 2025-26 is estimated at 150.8 thousand tons from an area of 170.6 thousand hectares, showing an increase of 22.9% in area and 1.2% in production compared to last year.

In line with the government’s agenda for promoting the agriculture sector, Rana Tanveer Hussain appreciated the State Bank of Pakistan’s efforts to enhance the flow of agricultural credit. The SBP allocated an indicative agricultural credit disbursement target of Rs. 2572 billion for FY 2025, which was 16.3% higher than the preceding year’s disbursement of Rs. 2250 billion. Currently, 47 financial institutions are providing agricultural loans to farmers, including 5 major commercial banks, 13 medium-sized domestic private banks, 6 Islamic banks, 2 specialized banks (ZTBL & PPCBL), 11 microfinance banks, and 10 MFIs/RSPs.

During FY 2025, the lending institutions disbursed Rs. 2577 billion, achieving 100.2% of the overall annual target and recording 16.3% growth compared to Rs. 2215 billion disbursed in the corresponding period last year. The Committee was also informed that the supply of Urea and DAP fertilizers is expected to remain stable during the upcoming Rabi season (November–December 2025).

Federal Minister Rana Tanveer Hussain said that the government under the leadership of the Prime Minister is fully committed to strengthening the agriculture sector, ensuring food security, and uplifting the living standards of farmers through better price mechanisms, access to credit, and availability of quality inputs. He emphasized that the agriculture sector is the backbone of the national economy, and its stability directly contributes to national growth, rural prosperity, and employment generation.

The Minister appreciated that despite the challenges of floods, climate variations, and global market fluctuations, all provinces have shown commendable performance in achieving better-than-expected results during the Kharif season. He also acknowledged the joint efforts of provincial departments and farmers for their dedication and resilience in maintaining productivity under difficult circumstances. Rana Tanveer Hussain said that the Ministry of National Food Security and Research would continue to implement reforms for modernizing agriculture through research, innovation, and sustainable practices.

The purpose of the Federal Committee on Agriculture is to review crop productivity across the provinces, assess challenges faced by the agriculture sector, and finalize production targets and policy directions for upcoming crop seasons.

The Metrological Department informed that overall, below-normal precipitation is expected in most parts of the country during November and December, while near-to-normal rains are expected in January 2026. The department clarified that the rumours circulating on social media regarding an extremely cold winter are baseless and false.

In his concluding remarks, Rana Tanveer Hussain reiterated the government’s resolve to ensure food security through coordinated federal–provincial efforts. He said that farmers are the backbone of the country’s progress, and their prosperity remains a top priority of the government. The Minister also underscored the importance of timely policy implementation, improved irrigation management, mechanization, and increased investment in research and development to ensure sustainable agricultural growth.