The Ministry of National Food Security has reported massive damage to agriculture caused by recent floods, with over 2.4 million acres of farmland destroyed across Punjab. Millions of people have been affected, raising fears of higher food inflation and a possible dependence on wheat imports.
According to official figures, cotton crops suffered losses of 5.2 percent, while sugarcane plantations saw 13 percent damage, impacting nearly 274,000 acres. Rice faced the largest blow, with 15.5 percent of the crop lost, affecting 998,000 acres. Maize cultivation on 242,000 acres was damaged, along with 9 percent of fodder and 12 percent of sesame crops.
The floods wiped out 44 percent of vegetables and 12.5 percent of fruit orchards. Officials warned that wheat seed stocks were washed away, which could delay the upcoming Rabi sowing season. Any delay or shortage in wheat cultivation could increase reliance on imports, pushing food prices higher.
The ministry further noted that more than six million people in Punjab have been directly affected. There are also concerns of livestock diseases such as lumpy skin spreading if timely vaccination campaigns are not carried out.
Officials said the agricultural losses not only threaten food supplies but also risk worsening inflation in the coming months.
