PAK-SCMS BULLETIN PAKISTAN: SATELLITE BASED CROP MONITORING SYSTEM Government of Pakistan
Volume II, Issue 11
Prelude: SUPARCO, the National Space Agency of Pakistan, has developed algorithms, techniques and procedures for fast track release of reliable and reproducible information on agriculture. FAO, UN is contributing in improvement of this bulletin through provision of technical advice. The other organizations collaborating in this endeavor are:
1-November-2012
Crop Situation: October, 2012
The Kharif and Rabi seasons integrate into each other during the month of October. The Kharif crops progressively lose chlorophyll contents, culminating the process of photosynthetic activity and reaching maturity. The harvest operation of Kharif crops kick off in October and stretch over to November and beyond. This includes harvest of rice, chilies, autumn maize & onions and other seasonal Pakistan Meteorological crops. The picking of cotton starts Department (PMD) much earlier but ends in synchroniza Provincial Crop Reporting tion with the above crops. The harServices (CRS) National Fertilizer Develop- vest of sugarcane starts by mid November and continues up to February ment Center (NFDC) and Indus River System Authority or March. The growth patterns of all (IRSA). above crops slow down during October and onwards, ending up in senescence of crop plants. This phenomenon is appreciably obvious in the form Inside this issue: of falling values of vegetation indices Normalized Difference Vegetation Index (NDVI) 31st October, 2012 of the satellite images. Crop Situation Octo1 ber, 2012 Ghazi Khan accruing from Rodkohis, flash floods and rains. The extent of The month of October also makes a the flooded area was 187.2 thousand ha and loss of cotton crop was 43 Crops Statistics 2012-13 2-4 debut in sowing of Rabi crops. The thousand bales. sowing of chickpeas, oilseeds, vegetaNormalized Difference bles and fodders was completed dur- The estimates released by SUPARCO place cotton production at 13.9 Vegetation Index 5-7 ing this month. The sowing of potato million bales from an area at 3.442 million ha. The price of cotton re(NDVI): Crop Growth Profile at Divisional & crop was also completed in the maize mained in the range of Rs. 2200-2700 per 40 kg. Cotton in most of the -potato-maize cropping patterns. The fields is/will be harvested in a few days and most of this area will be sown sowing of wheat was initiated in Oc- under wheat crop during late November or in December. Vegetation Difference, 8 31st October, 2012 tober and continues through next two months. The sowing of wheat For rice, there were colossal damages at a little more than 0.4 million tons Temporal Vegetation starts from rain-fed areas after maize viz. Sindh 301 thousand tons, Balochistan 92 thousand tons and Punjab 13 9-11 changes harvest, availing moisture conserved thousand tons. The rice crop estimate by SUPARCO is 7.2 million tons. from monsoon rains. In irrigated ar- The harvesting of coarse rice started in October in all provinces. Most of Agro-met Conditions: 12 Oct, 2012 eas, the sowing of wheat crop in Oc- this harvesting was completed during October. The harvesting of basmati tober, is generally confined to fallow rice started in October and will be completed by mid of November. Maximum-Minimum lands. The sowing of wheat in cottonTemperature: Oct, 13-14 wheat and rice-wheat cropping patRains/floods in Sindh (Jacobabad & Shikarpur) and Balochistan (Jafferabad & 2012 tern will be completed in subsequent Nasirabad) caused damage to rice crop. Similarly there were extensive months, after the harvest of cotton damages to cotton crop in Rajanpur and Dera Ghazi Khan districts of PunIrrigation Water Supply 15 and rice crops. Situation: Oct, 2012 jab. These areas suffering damage in Punjab will be available for sowing of wheat crops. However, part of the flood areas in Sindh and Balochistan Daily Hydrological During Kharif season, there have been may not be available for sowing of Rabi crops, with water ponding over Status at Indus Basin: 16 extensive damage to standing crops extended timelines. Oct, 2012 by floods from monsoon rains. The revised losses for cotton and rice The harvesting of sugarcane, by diktat of Sugarcane Factory Act 1950, is Fertilizer Situation: 17 crops have been estimated at Rs. 27.6 designed to be started in October each year. This year, as in the past, Oct, 2012 billion viz. cotton Rs. 12.4 billion and sugarcane crushing will be delayed from the above legislated harvesting Field view crops in Pun18-19 rice Rs. 15.2 billion. In cotton, there schedule. The crop production by SUARCO is estimated at 68.5 million jab Oct, 2012 was an extensive damage to the crop tons from an area of 1.24 million ha. in the districts of Rajanpur and Dera Maize Crop 2012-13
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Pakistan Satellite based Crop Monitoring System Bulletin is a joint monthly publication of SUPARCO and FAO, UN.