Floods Prompt Food Inflation Fears

LAHORE: Pakistan: Floods in Punjab, which have submerged more than 1.3 million acres of farmland along the eastern rivers, have caused significant damage to the Kharif crops, particularly cotton, prompting fears of food inflation.

Floods have displaced two million people, submerged 2,000 villages, and led to the relocation of 760,000 residents and 516,000 heads of cattle from the affected areas.

The satellite imagery of 24 Punjab districts in the command areas of the Sutlej, Ravi, and Chenab rivers shows that arou­nd 3,661 square kilometres, or 4.7 per cent of the total area, remained under floodwaters.

The floods have devastated key crops, including rice, sugarcane, corn, vegetables, and cotton. According to the Pakistan Business Forum, approximately 35pc of the cotton crop in central and southern Punjab has been destroyed, with losses reaching as high as 40-50pc in Bahawalnagar, the province’s largest cotton-producing district.

- Author: Amjad Mahmood, DAWN