Floods ruin 1.3m acres of farmland

Pakistan is once again battling the devastating impact of floods, with vast swathes of agricultural land submerged and food security under serious threat. The latest wave of flooding has already ravaged more than 1.3 million acres of farmland in Punjab, while water is now flowing towards Sindh, threatening the province's agricultural heartland.

Crops including rice, sugarcane, cotton and wheat have been severely damaged, raising fears of higher food prices and shortage of essential staples in the coming months. Political leaders and farmer groups are calling for urgent intervention, including Pakistan Peoples Party Chairman Bilawal Bhutto Zardari, who has urged the federal government to declare an agricultural emergency.

He has warned of a possible hike in prices of vegetables, staple crops and everyday items, pointing to the critical role of middlemen in exploiting shortages. "The government must step in before profiteers take advantage of this crisis and make life even harder for the people," he said, stressing that both short-term relief and long-term reforms are needed.

Preliminary assessments paint a grim picture. In Faisalabad Division alone, 300,000 acres have been damaged, while Gujrat and Gujranwala districts together have lost around 200,000 acres. Bahawalpur Division has seen 130,000 acres submerged, Sahiwal 145,000 acres and Lahore Division 99,000 acres.

The rice crop has been the hardest hit, with nearly 60% losses reported. Sugarcane has seen 30% damage, while cotton has suffered 35% destruction. Experts estimate that Pakistan may have to import around 5 million tons of wheat to stabilise domestic prices and ensure food availability.

Pakistan Business Forum (PBF) has warned that agricultural production targets for the current fiscal year are now in jeopardy. PBF President Khawaja Mehboobur Rehman described the situation as a direct threat to rural livelihoods and food security, calling on the federal cabinet to immediately declare an agricultural emergency.

"This crisis must be treated as a wake-up call to reform our agricultural strategies," he said, adding, "We must stop viewing floods purely as disasters and start managing them as resources."

The Forum also recommended canal infrastructure projects in Punjab and Sindh, interest-free loans of up to Rs2 million for small and medium-sized farmers, action against illegal encroachments along riverbanks, strengthening irrigation and revenue departments, development of localised water storage systems and activation of district price control committees to prevent hoarding and profiteering.

Other farmer lobbies have echoed similar demands, warning of dire consequences if the government delays action. Muhammad Ashfaq, a progressive farmer from Okara, said the floods have not only destroyed standing crops but also washed away seeds, fertilisers and stored grain. "If the government does not step in with immediate support, thousands of farmers will be pushed to the brink of bankruptcy. Food prices will skyrocket and the common man will be the ultimate sufferer," he warned.

The devastation has affected more than 1.8 million people across Chenab, Ravi and Sutlej river basins, where villages have been submerged and families displaced. With floodwaters now threatening Sindh via the Indus River, experts believe the worst may be yet to come.

Pakistan's vulnerability to floods is not new. The most recent major disaster was in 2022, when unprecedented monsoon rains caused damage estimated at nearly $30 billion, destroying crops, infrastructure and homes across the country. Despite repeated warnings, little has been done to build resilience against such disasters.

One of the long-debated solutions has been the construction of large dams to manage floodwaters and improve water storage capacity. However, due to political divisions and a lack of consensus, no major dam has been built for decades.

Economists and agricultural experts argue that without new water reservoirs, the country will continue to swing between floods and droughts, making it difficult to ensure stable agricultural production.

Agricultural economist Dr Tariq Hussain said the recurring floods are a reminder of Pakistan's failure to prepare for predictable challenges. "Every two to three years, we face the same devastation, but our response remains reactive instead of preventive. Without proper water management and storage systems, we will keep losing crops, livelihoods and billions of dollars to floods," he said.

Farmer associations, business forums and political leaders agree that extraordinary measures are needed to stabilise the agriculture sector. "Unless emergency relief is combined with long-term planning, Pakistan will continue to pay the price through destroyed crops, lost livelihoods and soaring food inflation," Hussain added.