SARGODHA, Apr 18 (APP):Wheat harvesting is progressing rapidly across the division as wheat was cultivated at over 1.432 million acres of land this year.
Director Agriculture Extension Shahid Hussain in a special briefing to APP revealed that harvesting has so far been completed over approximately 35,000 acres in the division.He noted that farmers were reporting an average yield of 36 to 40 mounds per acre which was consistent with last year’s output.
Highlighting the Agriculture Department’s ongoing support, Shahid Hussain emphasized that farmers are being consistently guided, particularly in light of the changing weather conditions. With the possibility of rain in the forecast, he urged farmers to restrict harvesting operations to clear weather and to suspend all activity immediately if rainfall is expected. “This precaution is imperative to prevent any damage to the crop”, he added.
He further advised farmers to move harvested wheat to elevated areas in case of heavy rain and keep the bundles small in size,besides ensuring that the wheat ears are facing upward to avoid moisture damage. These steps would help protect the grains from being affected by damp conditions, he added.
Shahid Hussain also warned about the risk of high moisture content in the stored wheat and said that if the moisture level exceeded 15%, there was a high risk of insect infestation which could deteriorate quality of the crop and made it unfit for human consumption.
He strongly urged the farmers to follow storage guidelines carefully to prevent crop losses and to ensure better yield and increase profits. This advisory would help the farmers in maximizing productivity,while safeguarding the quality and market value of their crop, he added.
