Pakistan, the delusional winner expects its yield to remain strong and rejects claims of 60% crop losses after floods. Despite the devastating floods that have submerged large swathes of farmland, the head of the country’s rice exporters’ association said that they are expecting their yield to remain strong. Further, the world’s fourth largest exporter of rice has also dismissed reports of catastrophic crop losses after floods. According to the Pakistan Bureau of Statistics, the country’s rice exports have been steadily rising, with Pakistan exporting around 6 million tons in the last fiscal year and earning over $3.2 billion in revenue.
The Pakistan Business Forum, a national platform for economic and policy dialogue on one side claimed that the floods had wiped out 60% of the rice crop, whereas the Rice Exporters Association of Pakistan (REAP) strongly rejected the figure.
Claims of 60% Crop Loss “Absolutely Absurd”
Malik Faisal, the chairman of the Rice Exporters Association of Pakistan (REAP) said that Out of 12.2 million acres under cultivation, we expect at least 12 million acres of crop size this year, which suggests the maximum possible losses of 200,000 acres. In such case, claims of 60% loss is “absolutely absurd,”, further adding that Sindh, Pakistan’s main rice-producing province and the backbone of non-Basmati exports, had largely escaped flood damage.
Faisal further said that even if we lose 10% of the crop, we still have 20% more cultivation than last year, which means overall production will be higher. With this the chairman of the Rice Exporters Association of Pakistan (REAP) completely rejected claims of 60% crop loss after floods.
The ‘Undefeated Pakistan Shares a More Mixed Picture
Pakistan, which supplies premium Basmati rice to Europe is now targeting the US market and expects to export up to 8 million tons this year after meeting domestic demand. Justifying their decision the chairman of the Rice Exporters Association of Pakistan (REAP) said that the country is on track to become the world’s third-largest rice exporter within five years.
However, on the ground, the picture is more mixed. Dr. Shoukat Ali, a professor at the University of Agriculture Faisalabad, sharing the actual estimation after the floods said that crops in at least 140 villages in Punjab have been destroyed. Farmers have also been reporting personal losses. Still the ‘undefeated Pakistan’ plans to become the world’s third-largest rice exporter within five years after meeting domestic demand. In this scenario, it is advisable to accept the crop loss and work to help farmers in coping with the loss rather than presenting an ‘undefeated’ figure.