Now that much of agricultural land is under water, farmers face higher production costs and lower yields.
Rescue teams continue search operations in Dera Ghazi Khan. Around 120 of them are involved in relief efforts amid monsoon rains and floods. Photo: Express
LAHORE:
The fertile farmlands of Punjab, which once abounded with the golden fragrance of ripening crops, now present a scene of devastation after the recent floods.
According to the Punjab Disaster Management Authority (PDMA), more than 1.441 million acres of agricultural land in 27 districts of the province have been affected. Major losses have been reported in Rajanpur, Dera Ghazi Khan, Muzaffargarh, Layyah, Bahawalpur, Chiniot, Kasur, Okara, Mandi Bahauddin, Sialkot and Narowal, where crops such as rice, cotton, sugarcane and vegetables have been completely destroyed.
Experts say the floods have washed away the fertile top layer of soil, damaging its structure, nutrients and salinity balance. Former Punjab Agriculture Director General Dr Anjum Ali Butter explained that flood water deposits salts in the soil, making it difficult for roots to grow. “The use of organic fertilizers and the cultivation of legumes is now necessary to restore soil fertility,” urged Dr. Butter.
Progressive farmer Aamir Hayat Bhandara revealed that earlier one bag of DAP fertilizer was enough for one crop, but now three or four might be required, significantly increasing production costs. “The government should conduct soil testing at the meso level to devise area-specific recovery strategies,” Bhandara suggested.
In several flood-affected regions, thick layers of mud and sand have been deposited on the ground. Farmers complain that removing these deposits is expensive and technically difficult. One such farmer, Rana Mubashir Hassan, estimated that restoring a single acre could cost between Rs 50,000 and Rs 100,000, an amount unaffordable for small farmers.
In Sharaqpur, the 15-acre guava orchard of another farmer, Chaudhry Muhammad Yaqoob, was completely destroyed. “I had invested around Rs 1.5 million and now I am facing a loss of Rs 3.5 to 4 million,” Yaqoob lamented. Similarly, Mehr Javed, a farmer from Kasur, reported that low-lying areas were still flooded, delaying the sowing of Rabi season vegetables.
According to an initial report by the Crop Reporting Service, of Punjab’s 115,000 acres of vegetable cultivated land, 51,000 acres have been damaged, with Lahore, Sahiwal and Faisalabad divisions being the worst affected. The vegetable supplying districts of Kasur and Sheikhupura, which supply Lahore, have also suffered heavy losses. Several villages along the Ravi River in Sharaqpur remain flooded.
In southern Punjab, mango orchards and in Lahore division, guava farms, were especially affected. A total of 71,467 acres of orchards were affected across Punjab, including 64,480 acres of mango trees. In Multan division alone, 38,355 acres of mango plantations remained under water. According to Dr. Butter, standing water accelerates the spread of fungi and bacteria that damage tree roots, and it takes five to eight years for a complete recovery.
Agricultural experts estimate that complete soil rehabilitation could take two to three years. Many even suggest using gypsum, potassium and sulphate fertilizers, along with green manure crops such as mung bean or berseem, to help restore fertility.
Farmers, however, feel that the government’s financial assistance is inadequate. Rana Mubashir Hassan pointed out that the announced aid of Rs 20,000 per acre was insufficient and could not even cover the cost of clearing the land, let alone replanting.
On the other hand, experts attribute the devastation to climate change and poor water management. This year’s rainfall intensity was 50 percent higher than normal and weaknesses in the canal system, coupled with the sudden release of water from upstream dams, made the situation worse.
According to a United Nations report, around 2.2 million hectares of land in Pakistan remain submerged, posing a serious threat to future food security.
