Report sought on flood damage to rice crop
By Sher Baz Khan
ISLAMABAD, Sept 2: The federal agriculture ministry has asked food departments in Sindh and Balochistan to immediately send area-wise details of damages caused by recent floods to the rice crop in the two provinces.

Official sources told Dawn on Sunday that the floods were feared to have curtailed rice production by more than 200,000 tons. The federal Ministry of Food, Agriculture and Livestock (Minfal), in collaboration with the provincial food departments, has already conducted an initial survey which has revealed some disturbing figures severe damages to more than 271,000 acres of rice paddies only in Sindh.

Initial estimates suggest that about 20-25 per cent of the crop in Sindh has been damaged.

The damage in Balochistan can be substantial as well, a source in Minfal said.

It now seems unlikely that the target of producing 5.7 million tons of rice this year will be achieved.

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