Growers in Sindh face loss of billions: Kharif crops in 10 districts washed away

September 30, 2012 (Daily Business Recorder) YASIR BABBAR KARACHI: Recent heavy rains/flood has damaged billions of rupees Kharif crops of rice (paddy), cotton, banana, chillies and others standing on more than 0.8 million acres in 10 districts of Sindh, Business Recorder learnt on Saturday. It was mentioned in a report compiled by Relief Department available with Business Recorder stating that heavy spell of late-monsoon rains started from September 9 broke 25 years record in six districts of province by heavy downpour. However, these rains/flood badly affected almost all 19 districts including Khairpur Mir's, Ghotki, Shikarpur, Sukkur, Jacobabad, Kashmore-Kandhkot, Shahdadkot-Qambar, Dadu, Naushehroferoze, Benazirabad, Matiari, Tando Allahyar, Hyderabad, Badin, Mirpurkhas, Sanghar and Umerkot. Report mentioned that standing crops on 892,446 acres have been washed away resulting thousands of farmers of province facing great financial losses constantly from 2010. According to portion of a report regarding crops damaging, various crops standing on 178,253 acres have been washed away in district Jacobabad, crops 8,550 acres damaged in district Larkana, crops standing on 132,650 acres washed away in Kashmore-Kandhkot, crops on 599,44 acres damaged in district Qambar-Shahdadkot and crops standing on 285,487 acres washed away in district Ghotki. Heavy rains caused the fully damages of crops standing on 355,056 acres in district Khairpur Mir's, crops standing on only 212 acres damaged in district Dadu, crops standing on 37,50 acres damaged in district Hyderabad, crops standing on 22,900 acres washed away in district Sanghar and only crops standing on 50,48 acres have been damaged in district Umerkot, report stated. It may be noted here that cotton has been sown on 89 per cent of the target of 650,000 hectares. Last year's sowing was reported on 660,782 hectares, one of the senior officials of Agriculture department told. "With this great loss, farmers are once again having a hard time especially in upper Sindh where their rice crop has been badly damaged in the recent monsoon. The cotton in upper Sindh has also been affected", he told. He said that Shikarpur, Jacobabad, Qambar-Shahdadkot and Kashmore-Kandhkot districts have borne the major brunt of these damages. For last three years, farmers are facing difficult times due to successive rains and floods. Super Flood 2010 had devastated rice crop and then again 2011 rains ruined Kharif crops, he added. "Around 30 to 40 per cent of the crop is going to be hit as water is standing in rice fields and we do not see any chance of draining the water out because our area lacks drainage system," he informed. It may be noted here that at the beginning of Kharif season, growers were crying hoarse against non-availability of irrigation water because of shortage in the Indus river system. And, now they are crying for compensation and rehabilitation.