Sindh minister says rains annihilated up to 90pc crops in 15 districts

KARACHI: Rainfalls have destroyed up to 90 percent of crops across 15 districts of Sindh, a provincial minister said on Tuesday, lamenting over the federal government’s apathy to the disaster.

Provincial Minister for Agriculture Ismail Rahu said recent rains have destroyed millions of acres of crops, but the federation has not made any announcement.

“Seventy to 90 percent of crops in 15 districts of Sindh have been destroyed,” Rahu said, addressing a press conference at the Sindh Assembly Building.

The provincial minister said rains in Sindh have destroyed cotton, rice, chili, tomato and other crops. He asked the federal government to impose an agricultural emergency in the province.

Cotton crop received 70 percent damage in Tharparkar, 35 percent in Sukkur, 21 percent in Sanghar, 20 percent in Naushero Feroz and 50 percent cotton was damaged in Thatta and Sujawal districts.

Rahu said 75 percent cotton was damaged in Tando Allahyar, 80 percent in Mirpur Khas, 80 percent in Umerkot, 15 percent in Jamshoro, 30 percent in Hyderabad and 70 percent in Badin.

The provincial minister said sugarcane was cultivated on 740,208 acres in the province in which 9 percent sugarcane crop has been damaged in Naushero Feroz, 18 percent in Badin, 50 percent in Tando Allahyar and 5 percent in Tando Muhammad Khan.

The minister said tomato crops in Umerkot, Mirpur Khas and Badin have been completely destroyed, while 70 percent of banana crop in Tando Allahyar has been damaged.

Rahu said the rice crop in Thatta has been damaged by 15 percent, Badin (40pc) and Tando Muhammad Khan (20pc). Eighty percent of millets and maize were also damaged.

The agriculture minister said rains affected the agriculture sector along with the residential areas. Due to poor policies of the federation, he said, the farmers of the province are worried. The exorbitant increase in the prices of seeds, fertilisers and medicines has also bothered the farmers.

“Even the ministers sitting in the federal cabinet elected from Sindh have not done anything for the province,” he

said. “Today, they are nowhere to be seen. The ministers sitting in the federation have remained silent on the issues of Sindh.”

The minister said the allies of Sindh are silent. “The visit of the President and the Governor in a helicopter is tantamount to sprinkle salt on the wounds of the people of Sindh,” he said. “The federation has not provided any practical assistance and no announcement has been made.”