Sindh growers unlikely to cultivate Rabi crops

Sindh is unlikely to cultivate the crops of upcoming Rabi season as the floodwaters have badly affected the agricultural lands in almost all districts of the province, it is learnt. However, the agricultural fields affected by the floodwaters would require at least six months to come to a normal position, while the growers would face multiple problems after receding of the feet-deep water, sources told Business Recorder on Wednesday.
They said that the growers would face a major problems pertaining to areas of their lands as the floodwaters had badly affected the land due to which the identification of agricultural lands would take a long time to ensure real ownership of the fields.
Besides, the gushing floodwaters have also badly destroyed the irrigation system in the province and more than 70 percent canal system and watercourses have become out of order.
The poor growers whose everything has been washed away by the floodwaters are not financially strong enough to level their fields, arrange seeds for the crops and other machinery to be used. Crops worth Rs 122 billion have so far been destroyed in the flood affected districts of Sindh province. These include cotton, paddy, sugarcane, citrus, maize, pulses, til, fodder, besides various kinds of vegetables, they added.
Moreover, sources said, more than 180,121 acres agricultural lands were badly damaged by the flood in district Khairpur, 229,130 acres in Ghotki, 61,892 acres in Sukkur, 127,001 acres in Naushehro Feroz, 68,500 acres in Nawabshah, 169,059 acres in Jacobabad, 171,128 acres in Kashmore-Kandhkot 221,598 acres in Shikarpur, 78,240 acres in Larkana, 174,600 acres in Qamber-Shahdadkot, 16,500 acres in Sanghar, 33,620 acres in Mirpurkhas, 24,550 acres in Umerkot, 116,980 acres in Dadu, 22,640 acres in Jamshoro, 170 acres in Hyderabad, 61,000 acres in Matiyari, 17, 689 acres in Badin, 38,000 acres in Thatta and 113 acres in Karachi.
However, the flood is still playing havoc in Dadu, Thatta and Badin districts and it is expected that the area of affected agricultural lands would further increase in the days to come, sources said, adding that the survey of the affected districts was being undertaken to ascertain the real extent of damage. Furthermore, they said, the agriculture department has instructed its field officers to visit the flood hit areas and submit reports so that measures could be taken for the upcoming Rabi crops.