• Adequate water availability anticipated in Punjab, Sindh
• Sugarcane output estimated at 84.7m tonnes, rice at 9.4m tonnes
ISLAMABAD: The federal government has set a wheat production target of around 30 million tonnes for the Rabi season 2025-26, banking on adequate water availability in Punjab and Sindh — the two main wheat-producing provinces.
The wheat production target for the Rabi season 2024-25 was set at 27.92m tonnes, but the government exceeded it by achieving 28.42m tonnes.
The target for 2025-26 was approved at a meeting of the Federal Committee on Agriculture (FCA), which also finalised the wheat policy to ensure farmers receive fair support prices, enabling them to cover production costs and earn reasonable profit margins, according to a statement issued by the Ministry of National Food Security and Research on Friday.
In light of recent floods, the FCA recommended launching a campaign for early wheat sowing, ensuring the availability of quality certified seed of improved varieties through a track-and-trace system, timely and affordable fertiliser supply, and the proper use of herbicides. It also called for wider dissemination of production technology through electronic and print media, greater access to agricultural credit, and bringing cultivable and barren wastelands under wheat cultivation through corporate farming.
Minister for National Food Security and Research Rana Tanveer Hussain, who presided over the FCA meeting, said the policy reflects the government’s commitment to safeguarding farmers’ interests and achieving self-sufficiency in staple food commodities.
Production targets for other Rabi crops were fixed at 393,000 tonnes for gram, 8.916 million tonnes for potato, 2.788m tonnes for onion, and 659,000 tonnes for tomato. The committee also reviewed seed availability for Rabi crops.
The director general of the Federal Seed Certification and Registration Department informed the meeting 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, allocating 33.814m acre-feet (MAF) of water to the provinces.
The Meteorological Department informed the meeting that below-normal precipitation is expected in most parts of the country during November and December, while near-normal rainfall is likely in January 2026.
The committee emphasised the use of new wheat seed varieties for improved production, suggesting the sowing of drought-tolerant and rust-resistant varieties, and the development of high-yielding, heat-tolerant varieties in response to climate change. It also called for strengthening provincial seed production systems and building farmers’ capacity to produce and maintain pure seed varieties.
The FCA highlighted the need to prevent curtailment of agricultural land to ensure maximum cultivation area and urged the use of innovative technologies, such as those developed by Suparco and the Land Information and Management System, for production forecasting and better planning. The committee also stressed the adoption of climate-smart agriculture techniques.
The meeting was informed that sugarcane production for 2025-26 is provisionally estimated at 84.7m tonnes from an area of 1.146m hectares, showing an increase of 5.5 per cent in area and 5.9pc in production over FCA targets.
Rice production for 2025-26 is estimated at 9.417m tonnes from an area of 3.039m hectares, indicating an increase of 21.9pc in area and 2.7pc in production compared to targets. Mungbean production is estimated at 150,800 tons. The availability of certified wheat seed for Rabi 2025-26 will meet 44pc of the total requirement.
In line with the government’s agenda to promote the agriculture sector, the minister appreciated the State Bank of Pakistan’s efforts to enhance agricultural credit flow. The SBP has set an indicative agricultural credit disbursement target of Rs2.572 trillion for fiscal year 2025 — 16.3 per cent higher than the preceding year’s Rs2.250tr.
Currently, 47 financial institutions are providing agricultural loans, including five major commercial banks, 13 medium-sized private banks, six Islamic banks, two specialised banks (ZTBL and PPCBL), 11 microfinance banks, and 10 microfinance institutions or rural support programmes.
During FY25, lending institutions disbursed Rs2.577tr, achieving 100.2pc of the annual target and recording 16.3pc growth compared to Rs2.215tr disbursed in the corresponding period last year. The committee was also informed that the supply of urea and DAP fertilisers is expected to remain stable during the upcoming Rabi season.
The minister reiterated the government’s resolve to ensure food security through coordinated federal and provincial efforts. He said farmers are the backbone of the country’s progress, and their prosperity remains a top government priority.
He also underscored the importance of timely policy implementation, improved irrigation management, mechanization, and greater investment in research and development to ensure sustainable agricultural growth.
Published in Dawn, October 25th, 2025
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