Abstract

Wheat is the main staple diet of the people of Pakistan. There were different views for wheat yield decline and crisis in the country during 2007-08. To assess the wheat situation and compare wheat production practices to identify the major factors of yield decline, a national level field survey was conducted during June 2008 by Social Sciences Division, Pakistan Agricultural Research Council through its satellite institutes in the provinces. Total 238 wheat growers were purposively selected from different cropping zones of the Punjab province as sample of the national survey. The survey results reveal that decline in wheat area, the incidence of frost/cold spells, shortage of irrigation water over normal supplies, imbalanced use of fertilizers particularly of DAP fertilizer below the recommended doses, higher prices of inputs such as seed, fertilizer, diesel, electricity and less wheat prices during 2006-07 and late announcement of the minimum guaranteed wheat price for 2007-08 were the main reasons of lower wheat production in 2007-08. To enhance the wheat yield, farmers were of the view that the timely availability of quality inputs (seed, fertilizers) at reasonable prices, canal water supply at critical stages of plant growth, and affordable diesel and electricity prices should be ensured. Timely availability of credit to the resource poor farmers would also enhance the wheat yield in Punjab.