What land and water resources are invested in grain production in the Northern Region?
The Northern region experiences a tropical and subtropical climate, where yields depend upon conservation of soil moisture from variable rainfall. The Northern AEZ have a more reliable rainfall, whereas Southern AEZ rainfall is less reliable, requiring the soils to retain available moisture. Enterprises in this region are substantial in size with diversity in crop choice. This region has a premium on high-protein wheats for both export and domestic markets, and it is in competition with cotton. In 1999, the Northern region included: • 3,699 thousand hectares of field grains • 157 thousand hectares of oilseeds • 111 thousand hectares of grain legumes • no rice production. Grain production is distributed according to sub-regions and is presented in the following table.
