1-Dr.Hazoor Muhammad Sabir* 2- Safdar Husain Tahir**
ABSTRACT
Wheat is the staple food of people in Pakistan. Depending upon rapidly growing population, the wheat requirements vary from time to time that creates complications for policy makers. The main objective of the study was to forecast as accurately as possible, the population and wheat requirements in Punjab province for the year 2010-11. For this purpose a time series data regarding population, wheat production and wheat requirements were collected from the National statistics. An exponential smoothing model specific for forecasting was applied. Different weights ranging from 0.3-0.9 were given to the past data to get the precise estimates. Results revealed that a quantity of 7.55 million tons wheat will be surplus in Punjab as the total requirements would be 12.45 million tons for the population of 95.78 million projected for the year 2010-11.
Key words: Population, production, requirement, forecasting and Punjab (Pakistan)
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* Economist Ayub Agri. Research Institute. Faisalabad. (Corresponding author)
** Ph.D. Scholar, Department of Business Finance, MAJU. Islamabad.
1-INTRODUCTION
Pakistan is the 9th largest wheat producer, accounting for 3.04 % of the world 's wheat production from an area of 3.57 % of the world (FAO 2009) Wheat is the leading food grain of Pakistan and being staple diet of the people. It occupies a central position in formulation of agricultural policies. It contributes 14.4 percent to the value added in agriculture and 3.1 percent to GDP (Eco Survey 2009-10)
Planning is fundamentally a process of thinking ahead and anticipating difficulties through rational actions based on experience, prudence and imagination to conduct the course of development so as to realize the pet and professed goals.
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