Cotton Yield Takes $1.53 Billion Hit From Deadly Floods

The loss of the cotton crop was estimated at $1.53 billion (3.24 million bales) due to recent monsoon rains and flash floods in the country. A think tank, “The Policy Research Institute of Market Economy (PRIME)” has compiled a report on the losses of cotton production due to recent devastations of the monsoon rains and floods. According to the estimates of the report, the country has lost $1.53 billion only due to the damages to the cotton crops due to the rains and floods in the country. PRIME’s data shows that the country has lost 3.24 million bale cotton production. The country had sowed cotton crops at 5.12 million acres of land during the sowing season. According to the data, 36 percent sowing area was affected by the monsoon and floods. The country was expecting cotton production to be around 9.03 million bales. However, Pakistan is expecting only 5.79 million bales after the monsoon and floods in the country. The report shows that huge losses were witnessed in the Sindh province, where 65 percent sowing area of the cotton crop was affected due to the natural calamities. The province has lost 2.09 million bales of cotton production due to rains and floods. The cotton crop was sowed on 1.2721 million acres in the province during the sowing season. The production assessment before the monsoon and floods was 3.22 million bales in the province, while it was projected only 1.13 million bales after the devastation of monsoon rains and floods. The data shows that the cotton production losses were projected as 0.34 million bales due to the natural calamities in Baluchistan Province. Around 80 percent cotton sowing area of the province was affected by the rains and floods, according to the data. The cotton production assessment before rain and floods was 0.43 million bales, which are now estimated to be only 0.09 million bales after the calamities. The cotton sowing area of the province was 0.173 million acres during the season, the report shows. According to the report, the losses in cotton production were recorded at 0.81 million bales in Punjab Province during the rains and floods. The report shows that cotton was sowed at 3.6699 million acres in the province during the sowing season. The officials were expecting 5.38 million bales before the monsoon in the province. However, after the calamities, they are expecting only 4.57 million bales after the rains and production. The data shows that the 50 percent sewing area of cotton was affected by the rains and floods as it was sewed at 0.005 million acres of land in the KP Province. It is pertinent to mention here that the official initial report which was compiled by the Finance Ministry indicates that the damages to the country were recorded at $18 billion due to rains and floods in the country.