LAHORE: Floods in Pakistan have destroyed up to 2.5 million acres of farmland in Punjab, causing heavy damage to the country’s agriculture sector.
Officials and farmers say the losses could top $1 billion.
Farmer groups estimate that up to up to 2.5 million acres is affected, mostly in central and southern Punjab. Sindh now faces a similar flooding threat.
The Provincial Disaster Management Authority (PDMA) said more than 4.28 million people have been affected. So far, 2.26 million residents trapped by floodwaters have been evacuated.
The damage to crops is severe. The Pakistan Business Forum reports 60% of rice, 35% of cotton, and 30% of sugarcane crops have been lost. It warned that the government’s 2025 agricultural targets were now “unattainable” and cautioned that Sindh may see similar destruction.
Farmers report damages worth Rs536 billion, covering cotton, rice, sesame, maize, and fodder.
Khalid Hussain Bath, president of Kissan Ittehad Pakistan, confirmed 2.5 million acres of cultivated land, including rice, cotton, and millet, have been wiped out.
Brokerage firm Arif Habib Limited estimates total flood costs at Rs409 billion ($1.4 billion), with agriculture accounting for Rs302 billion ($1 billion) or three-fourths of the losses. GDP growth is expected to slow from 3.4% to 3.2% in 2026 because of the flood impact. Agriculture’s contribution will drop from 2.2% to 1.1%. Agriculture, employing 40% of the labor force and making up 25% of GDP, grew only 0.56% in 2024, its weakest in a decade.
Analysts warn the flooding could drag down economic growth further this year.
