Farmers’ organizations across Punjab have urged the government to urgently announce a revival package to offset the devastation caused by recent floods, which destroyed nearly 2.5 million acres of cultivated land and left thousands of villages submerged. Leaders stressed that beyond ongoing relief, farmers need direct financial support, quality seeds, fertilizers, and other inputs to prepare for the next crop cycle and avert a looming food security crisis.
Dr. Zafar Hayat, President of the Farmer Bureau of Pakistan, said farmers were already struggling due to the absence of a wheat support price earlier this year. “Now floods have wiped out rice, cotton, millet, and oilseed crops, leaving rural communities with nothing. Without immediate support, the rural economy cannot recover,” he warned.
Kissan Ittehad leader Khalid Hussain Bath accused the Punjab government of neglect, saying, “Farmers are drowning while rulers pose for pictures. If the farmer dies, the country dies.” He warned that without relief, Pakistan’s food security would be imperiled.
Meanwhile, Punjab Agriculture Minister Syed Ashiq Hussain Kirmani reviewed relief operations, reporting fodder distribution, animal vaccinations, and deployment of thousands of staff across 429 camps. He pledged to expedite aid to flood victims and ensure recovery efforts continue.
