LAHORE – The recent floods in Punjab have inundated 1.3 million acres of land, damaging nearly 4.3 percent of the province’s cultivated area, according to a report published in The News.
Punjab’s Agriculture Minister said the floods have caused significant destruction to standing crops, with 9 percent of rice, 7 percent of sugarcane, and 2 percent of cotton severely affected.
The worst damage was reported in 28 districts along the banks of the Ravi, Chenab, and Sutlej rivers, where large swathes of farmland remain under water.
Experts estimate the economic cost of the floods at Rs409 billion, equivalent to 0.3 percent of GDP.
They warn that agricultural production could decline by 15 to 20 percent, which may reduce the overall economic growth rate by 0.5 to 1 percent.
The disaster is also expected to drive up food inflation, with staple crop prices projected to rise between 20 and 30 percent.
Additionally, reduced cotton output and disruptions in textile, rice, and sugar exports could widen the trade deficit by nearly $2 billion, analysts cautioned.
Agriculture specialists have urged the government to take urgent measures to mitigate the crisis.
They recommended immediate financial assistance for affected farmers, rescheduling of agricultural loans, and ensuring affordable access to seeds and fertilizers.
Experts also called for long-term adaptation strategies, including discouraging cultivation in flood-prone areas and reshaping cropping patterns in line with climate change.
With Punjab being Pakistan’s agricultural heartland, the devastation threatens not only rural livelihoods but also the country’s food security and export earnings.
The policymakers face growing pressure to implement both emergency relief and sustainable reforms to shield the sector from recurring climate-induced shocks.
