Rain and floods hit 300,000 acres cotton crop in Punjab

The recent monsoon rains and floods have affected around 300,000 acres of cotton crop in the entire cotton-sown areas in Punjab. According to information available to Business Recorder here on Wednesday, out of total affected cotton area, around 250,000 acres was non-recoverable while 50,000 acres was recoverable.
Moreover, the flood had damaged 250,000 acres of the cotton-sown area, out of which only 7000 acres was recoverable.
The rain had damaged more then 25,000 acres of the cotton-sown land out of which a major portion was recoverable.
The Punjab Agriculture Department was currently conducting a comprehensive survey of damages of the cotton crops caused by floods and rains in various parts of the province.
According to initial estimates, more than 4 percent of cotton-sown area has been effected. The worst situation was reported in Rajanpur where 23.13 percent of total cotton-sown area has so far been severely affected by floods while in Layyah the figure of damage was reported 18 percent.
The percentage of damage against total cotton-sown area in Multan was only 0.28 percent, in Khanewal 0.92 percent, in Bahawalnagar 4.15 percent, in Rahim Yar Khan 4.21 percent, in D G Khan 13.66 percent and in Muzaffargarh 7 percent. Significant damages of cotton crop were also reported in Bahawalpur areas.
Agriculture experts have expressed fear that increase in humidity level in cotton-sown areas could lead to an increase in viral attacks on cotton crops.
"Thus, if necessary precautionary measures were not taken, more cotton crops would be damaged," they warned.
The Punjab Agriculture Department has advised the cotton growers of the affected areas that if their cotton crop was totally lost then they should prepare their land for other crops.
Talking to Business Recorder, Kisan Board Pakistan Secretary General Ibrahim Mughal and Farmer Associates Pakistan Chief Organiser have demanded of the government to take immediate steps for compensating the affected cotton growers so that they could start preparations for the next crop.