Floods ravage Pakistan's breadbasket, over 2.2-million-acre farmland hit

Lahore [Pakistan], September 17 (ANI): Devastating floods in Pakistan have destroyed over 2.2 million acres of farmland in Pakistan’s Punjab, with rice crop being hit the hardest, Samaa news reported on Wednesday.

The floods have hit Pakistan’s agricultural economy hard, as over 2.2 million acres of farmland in Punjab have been submerged.

Rice crop losses have been estimated at over 1 million acres of standing production. Citing the provincial authorities, Samaa reported that the floods have caused extensive damage to rice, sugarcane, corn, and cotton across Punjab. Standing sugarcane crops spread over 2.5 million acres were damaged, while corn and cotton fields also faced destruction.

In Sindh, despite the impact being limited, up to three per cent of the onion crop has been damaged, with the Kachha areas being affected.

To identify the recovery needs and assess the scale of damage, the federal government has decided to involve international organisations, including UN agencies.

Samaa reported that Planning Minister Ahsan Iqbal chaired a high-level meeting with the finance minister and NDMA officials, and said an initial assessment of losses will be completed within ten days. He emphasised that final figures would only be possible once floodwaters fully receded.

According to The Express Tribune, the floods, which have been ongoing since late August, have displaced over two million people in Punjab, submerged 2,000 villages, and washed away vast tracts of farmland.

Thousands of acres of crops, including rice, cotton, and sugarcane, have been destroyed, further exacerbating food insecurity in the region.

The provincial government claims to have rescued nearly 1.9 million people, set up more than 1,000 relief camps, and deployed mobile health units. But reports from the field indicate that many villages remain cut off, with relief measures reaching them only sporadically.

Health records show more than 15,400 cases of dengue, diarrhoea, malaria, and skin diseases were detected across Punjab in the past month. (ANI)

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