As Many as 3 Million Bales Damaged in Pakistan Flooding

By Jim.Robinson|August 12, 2010

With as many as 3 million bales of cotton ruined by floodwaters, the news is bad enough for cotton professionals in Pakistan’s Punjab province. But the situation could get even worse if heavy rains do extensive damage to 300,000 acres of the standing crop, which is accustomed to growing in dry conditions.

Some industry sources say that as much as a quarter of the Pakistani cotton crop could be destroyed by the flooding. In an article published in The International News, Pakistan Cotton Ginners Association Chairman Malik Muhammad Akram said as much as 20% of Punjab’s cotton crop would be lost to floodwaters, and that national production estimates would need to be lowered to 12.5 million bales, down 2.5 million bales from earlier figures.

Cotton planted using a flat sowing technique–which accounts for the majority of the crop planted in the Punjab region–is especially vulnerable to heavy rains and flooding. Other agricultural crops that are expected to be damaged include sesame, various vegetables, and citrus and mango trees.

There is one positive development to the rain, however: Whiteflies, a common pest that spreads cotton leaf curl virus, prefer hot, dry weather. The excessive rains are believed to have eliminated most of that threat.