ISLAMABAD: The Pakistan Business Forum (PBF) has sounded an alarm over the destruction of more than 1.3 million acres of agricultural land in Punjab due to severe flooding, warning that the crisis could jeopardize national food security.
Floods ravage 1.3mn acres of farmland in Punjab, worst hit in Faisalabad.
PBF warns of up to 60% crop loss, urges agricultural emergency.
Calls for wheat imports, farmer support, and flood management reforms.
PBF chief Khawaja Mehboob ur Rehman said the damage had placed this year’s agricultural production targets in serious doubt. “This crisis must be treated as a wake-up call to reform our agricultural strategies,” he stressed, urging the government to manage floods as resources through better planning rather than viewing them solely as disasters.
According to preliminary assessments, Faisalabad Division suffered the heaviest losses with 300,000 acres submerged. Gujrat and Gujranwala each lost 200,000 acres, while Sahiwal reported 145,000 acres, Bahawalpur 130,000 acres, and Lahore Division nearly 100,000 acres. Multan Division remains under threat as floodwaters continue sweeping through rural areas.
Crop damage has been severe, with paddy fields losing up to 60%, sugarcane 30%, and cotton 35%, while maize has also suffered heavily. The PBF estimates that Pakistan may need to import 5 million tons of wheat to stabilize food supplies.
The forum urged the government to declare an “agricultural emergency” and introduce measures including interest-free loans for farmers, canal infrastructure projects, and strict action against riverbank encroachments. It also called for wheat and rice imports to curb shortages and stabilize prices.
PBF leaders further warned of rising milk and egg prices due to livestock losses, and urged authorities to waive import duties on vegetables from Afghanistan to ease market pressure.
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