Heavy rains lead to extensive crop damage in Sindh

KARACHI: The Sindh Agriculture Department released an initial report describing the damage inflicted to crops by the recent heavy monsoon rains.

Sindh Agriculture Minister Sardar Muhammad Bux Mehar said that the floods caused damaged to various crops across Sindh, resulting in an estimated loss of Rs 86.86 billion to farmers.

The minister also provided a breakdown of the damages, saying that 541,351 acres of crops have been destroyed.

“Specifically, 293,580 acres of cotton crops is affected,” he said.

According to Sardar Muhammad Bux Mehar, 269,016 acres have had partial damage while 35,271 acres have had total destruction of rice harvests.

In a similar vein, the minister said that date palms lost all of their value on 53,195 acres 32,849 acres suffered partial damage. The minister continued by saying that 26,382 acres of sugarcane crops is completely destroyed, while 69,689 acres suffered partial damage.

Sardar Muhammad Bux Mehar  said that the unprecedented rains led to a 21 percent loss in cotton and a 41 percent loss in date palms.

Additionally, tomato farms experienced a 3.4 percent loss, sesame 22 percent, onions 58 percent, chili peppers 12 percent, and vegetables 18 percent.

Read More: Cyclone Asna: Several districts of Sindh, Balochistan receive rain

The minister said that Badin, Dadu, Ghotki, Sukkur, Hyderabad, Larkana, Sanghar, Thatta, Sajawal, Mirpurkhas, Khairpur, Umerkot, Tando Allahyar, Shikarpur, Nawabshah, Matiari, Tando Muhammad Khan, and Tharparkar districts have been affected the most.

Sardar Muhammad Bux Mehar directed the concerned officials to take immediate measures to protect the crops that have been partially affected to prevent further losses.

It may be noted here that the heavy rainfall lashed several areas of Karachi and other parts of Sindh and Balochistan provinces under the influence of Cyclonic Storm ‘ASNA’.

More rains are expected in Karachi, Thatta, Sujawal, Hyderabad, Matiari, Jamshoro and Dadu districts of Sindh.

The National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA) in an advisory apprehended flooding and inundation in coastal areas of Baluchistan and Sindh. The authorities have advised fishermen not to venture into the open sea till tomorrow.

In Karachi several citizens blatantly violating the safety instructions and section 144 thronged at beaches.