Losses to crops estimated at Rs355b

Cotton, dates, rice amongst destroyed crops

KARACHI:

Adviser to CM on Agriculture Manzoor Hussain Wasan has said that the growers are likely to face Rs355 billion worth of losses to the crops in Sindh due to the recent rains.

Cotton crop standing on about 1.46 million acres and date orchards spread over 1.138 million acres have been destroyed in Sindh. In a statement on Monday, he said that rice sown over one million acres has been washed away in rain and following deluge.

Wasan said that sesame, vegetable, tomato, chilies and other crops have also been destroyed due to the rains in Sindh. There will be difficulties in planting wheat in the coming days, he said.

"When there is several feet of stagnant water in the fields, how will farmers be able to plant crops in th next two months," the adviser on agriculture said.

He said that he has never seen such a situation in his entire life in Sindh and, only Allah Almighty can control this calamity.

Sindh government is doing its best to provide relief to the rain victims, he added.

Published in The Express Tribune, August 30^th, 2022.