Floods destroy 2.5m acres of crops
FAZAL SHER
ISLAMABAD: The recent floods across Pakistan have caused severe damage to the country’s agriculture sector, destroying approximately 2.5 million acres of crops —equivalent to 7.7 percent of the total cropped area.
This was revealed in a report submitted by the Ministry of National Food Security and Research (MNFS&R) to the Senate Standing Committee on National Food Security and Research, which met here on Thursday under the chairmanship of Senator Masoor Ahsan.
According to the report, Punjab province has been the hardest hit, with around 90 percent of major crops—such as rice, sugarcane, maize, and fodder—affected by the flooding. The worst-affected districts in Punjab include Sialkot, Narowal, Gujrat, Jhang, Hafizabad, Chiniot, Multan, Muzaffargarh, Bahawalnagar, and Bahawalpur.
In these areas, more than 100,000 acres of crops, about 3 percent of the cropped land, have been impacted. While initial data has been collected on the inundated areas, a formal crop damage survey by the Provincial Disaster Management Authority (PDMA) Punjab began on September 24.
In Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, the PDMA has completed its assessment, reporting damage to crops over 35,000 acres, resulting in estimated financial losses of Rs 6,525 million.
The report provides a detailed breakdown of crop losses across Punjab province: cotton was damaged on 162,000 acres, sugarcane on 274,000 acres, rice on 998,000 acres, sesame on 101,000 acres, fodder on 583,000 acres, vegetables on 51,000 acres, and orchards on 71,000 acres. Additionally, maize suffered losses over 242 acres.
Sindh province also experienced significant damage, with floods affecting 57,552 acres of cotton, 36,398 acres of date palms, 5,378 acres of onions, and 221 acres of chilli crops. In Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, apart from cotton losses on 4,233 acres, floods damaged 27,446 acres of maize, 1,480 acres of vegetables, and 1,540 acres of orchards.
Senator Masroorsaid that this is national disaster and the affected areas must be declared disaster-hit, and immediate assistance should be provided through the Benazir Income Support Program (BISP).
Senator Aimal Wali Khan questioned the wheat shortage in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, arguing that the province’s share is being unfairly withheld.
Senator Danesh Kumar endorsed the concern, stating that the people in Balochistan face the same discrimination.
Chairman Senator Ahsan strongly appealed to uphold Article 151 of the Constitution, which guarantees free trade among provinces. Trade and commerce must flow freely between provinces. These restrictions are unconstitutional and go against national integrity,” he asserted. Malik Faisal Jahangir, Chairman Rice Exporters Association of Pakistan (REAP) told the committee that no consultation has been held with REAP on the Ordinance titled “National Agri-Trade and Food Safety Authority (NAFSA) Ordinance, 2025 (Ordinance No. VI of 2025).”
He expressed grave concerns over the steep decline in Basmati rice exports, once Pakistan’s most lucrative export commodity. “Pakistan achieved a historic high in rice exports, but we are now witnessing a drastic fall — even lower than India — due to interrupted shipments to EU countries,” he stated.
Senator Danesh Kumar underscored the crisis further, highlighting that exports worth Rs. 5 billion were being halted due to restrictive policies. “We were not consulted in the NAFSA Ordinance. Policies must support the economy and exporters, not strangle them,” he said, demanding a full inquiry into the matter.
The committee resolved to gather views from all key exporter and importer associations before finalizing the NAFSA Ordinance. Chairman of the committee Ahsan directed all stakeholders to submit their formal recommendations before the next session.
The committee expressed anger over the delay in the appointment of Director General (DG) of the Department of Plant Protection (DPP) despite the recommendation of the committee and the court order. The committee chairman said that the court order said that the appointment of a senior-most officer as DG, but the ministry has not made the appointment.
To this secretary, MNFS&R said that the current DG of DPP is no longer holding the charge of DG and notification regarding the appointment of a new DG would be issued soon.
Senator Aimal Wali Khan asked the secretary what the reasons were behind the delay in the issuance of the notification despite the passage of several days of the court order. “If you [secretary] have not issued notification, then you have committed contempt of court,” he said.
To this, the secretary said that the ministry has completed the process and will issue a notification following the arrival of the minister from abroad.
The committee reviewed inquiry reports related to Dr. Tariq Khan, Ms. Allah Ditta Abid, and Sohail Shahzad all Ex-Directors (Technical) of DPP. After hearing their pleas, the committee expressed serious concerns. These are not light allegations. Officers may have been made scapegoats,” said Chairman Ahsan. We need a detailed investigation to determine whether the charges were based on fair and just grounds.
The committee constituted a sub-committee under Senator Poonjo Bheel to investigate all related inquiries.
Senators Poonjo Bheel, Dost Muhammad Khan, Rahat Jamali , Abdul Wasay, Danesh Kumar, Aimal Wali Khan, Sardar Al Haj Muhammad Ajmer Gorgaij, Senator Abdul Karim and senior of official of MNFS&R.
