Above average rainfall over northeastern parts in June 2002 at the start of the monsoon season favoured planting and early growth of paddy and coarse grain crops. However, in July and August rainfall was much below normal as the progress of the monsoon was interrupted. Drought conditions emerged, notably in southern Sindh and southwest Baluchistan provinces, while underground water levels had also fallen sharply. By contrast, the level of irrigation water in the country’s two main dams remained adequate because of snowmelt.
The outlook for the 2002 paddy crop to be harvested from October is for an output similar to or slightly above 5.6 million tonnes harvested the previous year. A decline in the area planted following a switch of production to less water demanding crops, was offset by higher yields due to adequate availability of irrigation water. Rice exports for 2002 are estimated at 1.4 million tonnes, substantially below 2.3 million tonnes of exports the previous year. The wheat crop harvested in April-May is estimated at 19.2 million tonnes, which together with high opening stocks provide for an exportable surplus in 2002/03 (May/April) estimated at 0.5 million tonnes. The 2002 coarse grain crop presently being harvested is estimated to yield 2.1 million tonnes, similar to the output of the previous year.