ISLAMABAD  - The first spell of winter rains will bring about positive impact on all seasonal major and minor crops, fruits orchards, and vegetables farms.

The rains will be beneficial for wheat, which is major cash crop of the season and a mega source to fulfill the domestic requirements of staple food and particularly it would have positive impact on wheat sown across the rain feed areas across the country as well as oil seeds including mustard and canola.

Commenting on the impact of current rains spell on different crops, Chairman Pakistan Agriculture Research Council Dr Ghulam Muhammad Ali said that these rains are most beneficial for wheat as crop was passing through tillering stage and will help to strengthen health of the plant to enhance local output during the season.

The rains would put positive impact on wheat sown in Potohar region and other rain fed areas in the country, he said, adding that a large number of small scale farmers cultivating different minor crops and seasonal vegetables in these areas and timely rains will help them to enhance their farm income by enhancing output.

Dr Ali further said that government had introduced special incentives for farmers to grow oil seeds in order to reduce reliance on imported edible oil, which was consuming huge amount of foreign exchange annually, adding that these rains would impact positively all oil seeds like canola and mustard sown over a large area across the country.