Sindh farm losses estimated at Rs82b

KARACHI: The initial agricultural loss assessments are in for Sindh, known for its rice belt, cotton and sugarcane. But both the government and vocal growers know that not only are the figures rough estimates, they are also likely to go up because of further flooding.

The agriculture department has sent the federal government a report, which totals the losses at Rs82 billion. According to initial assessments, crops such as cotton, rice, sugarcane, vegetables, maize, pulses and fodder were sown over 4.6 million acres in 17 out of Sindh’s 23 districts. Out of this, 40 per cent or 1.81 million acres have been damaged. The estimated produce was expected to be 21.7 million tons, but around 5.9 million tons has been lost, which in monetary terms comes to about Rs82 billion.

The report also says that the worst hit areas are Kashmore, Shikarpur, Jacobabad, Larkana, Dadu, Sukkur, Ghotki, Thatta, Khairpur and Kamber Shahdadkot.

The report says that the province has suffered a loss of Rs32 billion in cotton, Rs29 billion in rice (paddy), Rs11 billion in sugarcane, Rs4 billion in vegetables, Rs192 million in citrus, Rs11 million in maize, Rs49 million in pulses, Rs475 million in till, Rs235 million in fodder.

The data, according to additional secretary (technical) agriculture, has been combined from the office of the executive district officer (agriculture) and field staff of the revenue department. He said that since water is still damaging crops, the more recent losses in Jati and Khairpur Nathan Shah have not been included in the report.

Majeed Nizamani, who is the president of the Sindh Abadgar Board, doesn’t believe in these official figures for losses, which he says are much higher. “Government officials are just making statements and there seems to have been no ground work to determine the actual loss,” he said.

He is critical of the method of assessment. “They are saying that crops standing on around 1.86 million acres have been damaged and have calculated the average loss at Rs6,254 per acre. But I can say with confidence that the loss per acre will be more than Rs11,000.”

Officials have no idea about expenses. Take the paddy crop, for example. Last year, around 2.4 million tons of rice was produced in Sindh and this year the figure was more or less equal.  “I can say that around 1.8 million tons of paddy has been damaged and the people of Sindh will be lucky if they salvage 0.8 million tons,” he said. Nizamani predicted problems for the planting season as well as the seed for the rice IRRI-6 will not be available in the market. “The government says that if there is a shortage, they will import the seed,” he said. “But that will just grease more palms.”

Published in The Express Tribune, September 6^th, 2010.