ISLAMABAD: Pakistan's agriculture sector suffered a loss of around Rs 400 billion as rains and floods have devastated major crops including cotton, rice, dates and vegetables across the country and therefore the sector’s growth target of 3.9 per cent set for the current fiscal year will be missed by a wide margin.
The government of Pakistan Ministry of National Food Security and Research in collaboration with all provincial governments' concerned departments and SUPARCO compiled initial data which revealed that Sindh's agriculture sector suffered huge loss of over Rs300 billion followed by Balochistan with over Rs25 billion.
The province-wise details are given below:
SINDH
After human losses in Sindh there is a loss of 2,845,046 acres of cropped area.
Cotton: The total area cultivated of cotton was 1,467,579 acres which is completely damaged by the flooding/monsoon rain. The loss in monetary terms on current nominal prices is about 205,461.06 million rupees.
Date Palm: The total acreage damage is 101,379 which is about 100 per cent damage of the total area cultivated. The loss is equivalent to an amount of 7,096.53 million rupees.
Sugarcane: The total damage area is about 45,207 acres which is about 7.18 per cent of the total area cultivated. The loss in financial term is about 3,390.525 million rupees.
Kharif chillies: The total area damage is about 29,622 acres which is about 47 per cent of the total area cultivated of the crop. The amount of Rs7,772.812 million is lost due to crop damage.
Onion: The total acreage damage is about 42,268 which about 27.95 per cent of the total area cultivated. The financial loss is about 10,144.32 million rupees due to onion crop damage.
Tomato: 12,101 acres of tomato crop has been damaged due to heavy rain/ flooding. The area damage is about 20 per cent of the total cultivated area. The financial loss is about 2,710.624 million rupees.
Kharif vegetables: 30,718 acres of the kharif vegetables have been damaged. The area is about 55 per cent of the total area cultivated for the crop. The financial loss is about 2457.44 million rupees.
Rice: The total damage area is about 1,038,174 acres which is about 70 per cent of the area cultivated for rice. The financial losses due to crop damage is about 50,870.526 million rupees.
Sesame: The area damaged is about 7,234 acres which is about 22 per cent of the total area cultivated for sesame. The loss in financial term is about 336.381 million rupees.
Others: 70,764 acres have been damaged. The amount of financial loss is about 7076.4 million rupees.
Total number of animals died due to floods in Sindh is 1,976. Number of cows, buffalo, and camel perished collectively is 180. Whereas, the number of perished goats, sheep and donkey collectively is 1,541 (PDMA Sindh)
BALOCHISTAN
The recent heavy rains and subsequently flash floods have badly affected the Balochistan province on large scale. The flood has damaged the standing crops, orchards and vegetables. According to recent updates, the districts which are worst hit by the rains and flash floods and resulted in crop and livestock losses are Lasbela, Mastung and Washuk.
Crops loss as a result of current flood 67,050; 21,960; 14,882 and 4,403 acres area consisting of crops, orchards, vegetables and fodder has been damaged, which constituted a loss of Rs9,936.8; 4,469.36; 5,252 and 187.84 million rupees respectively.
Crop damage is higher in the districts of Lasbela, Sibi, and Awaran where an area of 50,000, 3,400 and 3,212 acres has been affected which resulted in a loss of Rs4,900, 1,020, and 963.6 million rupees.
On the other hand, orchard’s affected area is higher in districts of Lasbela, Barkhan, and Pishin, where 5,5000, 1,500, and 1,060 acres are under the effects of flood loss.
Vegetables have also been affected, highly affected districts are Lasbela, Barkhan, and Pishin.
Fodder crop is also under the effects of floods. Lasbela, Kech and Mastung are the greatly affected districts.
Livestock losses: A key livelihood source in Balochistan, livestock are an important means of sustenance, with animal products utilised for daily food consumption. Livestock and Dairy Development Department Quetta has reported that number of poultry died is 81,871, whereas 24,854 animals have died due to floods, at the same time 708 animal sheds have been damaged. Livestock loss includes cattle, sheep, goat, camel, donkey, mule, and poultry. Cattle died more in number in Lasbela, Washuk and Musa Khail districts. Higher number of sheep died in districts of Mastung, Washuk and Lasbela.
KHYBER PAKHTUNKHWA
Maize: The total area cultivated was 482,767 acres. The damage occurred by rain/flood is 4,794 acres, which is about one per cent of the total area cultivated in the KPK. The average yield in the KPK is about 0.91/ton in KPK therefore, the total production losses as reported by the data is about 4,543 tonne. The financial losses due to damage of the maize crop is about 368.09 million rupees.
Rice: The total cultivated area for rice in KPK is 40,029 acres, of which, 3,482 acres have been damaged due to rain/flooding which is about six per cent of the total area cultivated. The average yield per acre in KPK is 0.01/ton thus, the total production losses are about 39 tonne which is equivalent to 11.81 million rupees.
Oil Seed: The total area damaged by the rain/flood is 237 acres out of total of 432 which is about 55 per cent of the total acres under cultivation of oil seed. The average yield of oil seed in the KPK is 0.27/ton. The total production loss is about 96 tonnes equivalent to an amount of 32.25 million rupees.
Tobacco: Tobacco loss is about one per cent of the total area cultivated which is 957 acres out of 65,895 of total acres cultivated, the loss equivalent to an amount of 222.70 million rupees.
Vegetable losses: Total area damaged by the flood is 938 acres out of 15,930 acres which is about six per cent of the total cultivated area. The loss in rupees is 145.28 million rupees.
Orchards losses: About two per cent of the total area cultivated has been damaged by the floods in the KPK which is 98 acres out of the total of 4,742 total acres an amount equivalent to 5.35 million rupees.
Pulses: total area damaged by the rain is 863 acres out of 3,301 of total acres which is about 26 per cent of the total cultivated area, an amount of equivalent loss is 50.86 million rupees.
Cotton: total area damaged by the rain is 137 acres out of the total of 408 acres which is about 34 per cent of the total area cultivated in the KPK an amount equivalent loss is about 24.22 million rupees.
Dates: 91 per cent of the total area cultivated for dates has been damaged which is 2,596 acres out of 2,866 of total cultivated acres, the amount equivalent to the loss is about 2,754.05 million rupees.
Potato: The total acres damaged by flood are 85 out of total of 1,359, the loss is about one per cent of the total area cultivated, the loss equivalent to 31.01 million rupees.
The total area cultivated of sugarcane is 140,664 out which 60 acres are damaged which is about less than one per cent an amount equivalent loss is about 8.90 million.
The total animal losses in KPK comprise large and small animal deaths, animal sheds damage completely or partially damaged, poultry sheds completely and partially damaged.
PUNJAB
Cotton: The total area damaged by the recent monsoon spells in Punjab is about 30,340 acres of total cultivated area which is about 3,670,000 acres.
As many as 3,429 large animals (cattle, buffalo and camels), 24,512 small animals such as sheep and goats and 224 work animals such as horses, asses, and mules). 685 animal sheds have been completely destroyed while 591 animal shed have been partially damaged. 86,120 rural poultry have also been found dead. One poultry shed is completely destroyed and five were partially damaged. Livestock losses are being observed due to massive spells of monsoon rains and floods.
Copyright Business Recorder, 2022