Widespread flooding in Punjab province has caused massive damage to agriculture, wiping out key crops and threatening food security across Pakistan.
According to preliminary data from the Punjab Agriculture Department’s Crop Reporting Service, around 1.329 million acres of farmland have been affected — about 6.3% of the province’s total cultivated area. The floods, triggered by torrential rains and flash floods, have not only destroyed crops but also damaged livestock and agricultural infrastructure, News.Az reports, citing foreign media.
Rice fields bore the heaviest blow, with 654,000 acres submerged, representing over 10% of the total rice area. Fodder crops were the next hardest hit, losing 334,000 acres (7.2%), while maize losses reached 92,000 acres (6.4%). Other crops also suffered significant damage: sesame over 60,000 acres (5.4%), sugarcane 106,000 acres (5%), and cotton 55,000 acres (1.7%). Vegetables experienced the sharpest proportional loss, with more than a quarter of their cultivated area wiped out.
Officials said the overall impact is especially severe for rice, fodder, and vegetables, which together account for the bulk of the losses. “The government, in collaboration with provincial authorities, is working to restore damaged land and will use all available resources to ensure food safety and security in the country,” an official from the Ministry of National Food Security and Research said.
The floods come at a critical time for Pakistan’s agriculture sector, raising fresh concerns about crop yields, rural livelihoods, and the nation’s food supply chain.
