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Sindh agri losses may rise to Rs 50 billion due to dry spell
HYDERABAD - Sindh agriculture production losses might touch Rs
50 billion mark by the time Rabi season is over due to
continuous dry spell and water shortage during the past four
years.
Sindh, being on the tail-end of the River Indus system, with
95 percent dependence on canal irrigation and meagre sweet
water underground resources, remains the worst affected
province.
Statistics released by Minfal in December last also confirmed
the negative impact of water shortage on Sindh Agriculture
sector, particularly on wheat, the major Rabi crop. According
to statistics, except for Sindh all the three other provinces
had completed their sowing target from 97 to 99.6 percent.
Even after the downward revision of target, Sindh could hardly
achieve 71.8 percent of its sowing target.
Wheat Commissioner Pakistan Dr Qadir Bux Baloch conceded that
lower Sindh, particularly Hyderabad and Mirpurkhas
districts, were the worst sufferers due to poor water
availability and, in the absence of winter rains, wheat
production prospects in non-perennial areas have become quite
bleak. There are fears that the shortage of water at the
critical stage of the crop would have negative impact on per
acre yield in Sindh as the wheat grain would have shrivelled
if the dry spell continued any further or water availability
was not assured.
The situation of other Rabi crops is not different from that
of wheat which would further enhance the production losses
Courtesy Business Recorder 16 February 2002
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Pakissan.com;
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