Agricultural loss

THE current wave of floods has ravaged vast tracts of farmland across the plains of central Punjab. Hundreds of thousands of mostly smallholders have been displaced, with floodwaters sweeping away their food and other crops. More agricultural land will be swallowed by the raging waters, surging southwards to converge with the Indus in the coming days. A major economic upheaval is already emerging, along with a humanitarian crisis. Though it is still too early for a full assessment of the damage wreaked on crops and livestock, initial reports suggest that farmers’ losses are already running into billions. The deluge has wiped out standing rice, maize and other crops besides vegetables in more than 2,100 villages located along the Sutlej, Ravi and Chenab. The rushing waters are now expected to inflict further damage on croplands in Punjab’s cotton-producing southern districts before cascading into Sindh.