SAHIWAL: Officials of the agriculture and revenue departments are persuading local farmers to accomplish wheat sowing target for the upcoming Karif crop in the district. Dawn learnt from official sources out of 306,000 acres target, farmers have sown wheat over 140,250 acres, which is 46 per cent of the target. This is because the Punjab government stayed away from wheat procurement last year and did not announce the support price, leaving farmers at the mercy of market forces. There are apprehensions farmers may sow less wheat and shift to some other cash crop as they suffered heavy losses last year. Farooq Bajwa, a wheat grower from village 73/4-R, told Dawn wheat farmers suffered a great loss last year as they failed to get even their production cost. “This year farmers may opt for other crops,” he said. It is learnt officials have directed lease-holders of Ghori Pal scheme and other state farms to only grow wheat.Atizaz Marth, ADCR, told Dawn around 800 lumberdars have been mobilised along with other revenue and agriculture officials to persuade farmers to grow wheat on maximum area. The Kharif crop sowing season starts from Nov 1 and ends in mid-December. A senior official from the agriculture department said the government must announce wheat support price at the early stage to encourage growers to sow wheat otherwise there can be shortage of wheat next year.