Abstract
Wheat is the major staple food of people of Pakistan and the net annual requirement for a population of 165
million including seed requirement is more than 21mmt besides unavoidable post production losses and carryover. Over-estimate of wheat production (23.295mmt) during 2006-07 led to export five lac mmt through regular
channels and more than that through irregular channels to neighbouring food deficient countries. In spite of efforts
made to import wheat later on, at a much higher rate, the situation did not improve. Recent increase in support
price(52%), as an incentive to boost production is likely to provide temporary relief but not a permanent solution to
the problem because of high and ever-increasing cost of agriculture in-puts and severe shortage of irrigation
water. The solution, however, lies in enhancing per unit production through liberal financial support to small
farmers, adequate availability of fertilizers, weedicides and certified seed at affordable prices, containment of
post-harvest losses and strong curb on wheat smuggling. Adequate irrigation water supply, of course, occupies
the pivotal role in enhancing agriculture production and that is linked with the construction of big dames, at least
one in the shortest possible time and the one whose feasibility has already been worked out. It is only
kalabagdam.
