The area under cultivation and total output of rice crop decreased by 18 percent and 30 percent respectively during 2010-11 due to floods and breaches in protective bunds of river Indus as well as low market returns. This was revealed in a report titled 'Agriculture Statistics of Pakistan (ASP)', prepared by the Pakistan Bureau of Statistics for the year 2010-2011.
The report notes that the area under cultivation of rice declined in 2010-11 because of excessive floods that damaged the crop besides low market returns, which discouraged the growers. The production of rice decreased due to decline in area under cultivation as well as pests attack and water logging of early sown crop affected the yield.
In Punjab, the yield of basmati varieties improved due to favourable weather conditions. However, in main rice districts Gujrat, M B Din, Sialkot, Gujranwala, Sheikhupura and Lahore, the attack of foot-rot, bacterial blight, leaf roller and logging of early sown crop affected the yield of supreme as well as coarse varieties to some extent.