LAHORE: With wheat ready for harvest, Punjab Minister for Agriculture Farrukh Javed on Friday asked people to pray for stoppage of rain which otherwise could hit the crop at the final stage.

His department, though concerned, is also optimistic. Sunday onwards, the metrological forecast predicts a clear weather. Should that happen, the farmers, being highly vigilant, will not waste time.

In fact, over a million acres, out of 16.25 million acres, is already harvested and pace is much quicker than the last year because of weather phenomenon, says an official of the Agriculture Department. The Friday rain, though torrential in certain parts, did not hit the entire Punjab as it was concentrated in its central and north eastern parts.

Farmers in other areas are harvesting quickly, but the rain is certainly adding to the complication. Over 70 per cent of the crop this year was early sown and had completed its lifecycle almost a weak ago. Any delay in harvesting would affect the quality.

“That’s what is worrying everyone in the department,” he said. The department had already issued an advisory, recommending certain curative and preventive steps.

There is already an additional spell of rain, which was not part of the earlier forecasts by metrological officials. Things can quickly spin out of hands with another spell of rain, he warned.

“Each ton of wheat would fetch Rs30,000 for farmers and the total worth of the Punjab produce -- 19 million tonnes -- would be around Rs570 billion at the official rate,” says Afzal Maitla from Okara.