Of the total planted wheat area almost 40pc, or 9.12 million hectares (Mha), was sown to wheat in October, November and December last year for the 2024 harvest.

THE 2023-24 wheat harvest in Pakistan has been under way for around a month now and, while output is expected to be a record thanks to an increase in the area planted last autumn, it is forecast to fall short of the government’s early season production target.

Wheat is Pakistan’s most important crop, both in terms of food security and total planted area. In respect of food security, wheat accounts for 70 percent of the nation’s annual calorie intake.

Disease and pest reduction

Fungal plant pathogen rust has traditionally been a yield-limiting factor in Pakistan’s wheat crop each season. The combination of below-average rainfall in December and January, resulting in reduced humidity in the crop canopy, and the higher adoption rates of certified seed with rust-resistant traits meant that there were no reports of significant rust outbreaks during the reproductive phase of the crop cycle when it would usually have the most significant yield impact. Similarly, there were no reports of locust or other severe pest outbreaks this year, each contributing to the current record output projection.