Pakistan’s economy under threat after Punjab floods wash away thousands of villages, farms

CHINIOT, Pakistan – Across the fertile plains of Pakistan’s Punjab, families are struggling to rebuild their lives after the worst flooding in decades swept away homes, destroyed crops and drowned livestock.

“Thirteen of my 15 acres (6ha) are gone,” said Mr Muhammad Amjad, 45, a rice and potato farmer in Chiniot, as he stood by submerged fields.

“Our rice is completely destroyed. Women and children have evacuated. Men are left guarding what remains.”

The Provincial Disaster Management Authority said more than two million people were affected, with more than 2,000 villages inundated.

Approximately 760,000 people and 516,000 animals have been evacuated, and at least 33 people have died in less than a week.

Mr Amish Sultan, 50, lost his only source of income.

“I have 10 buffaloes. They’re so weak, there’s no milk left for my children, let alone to sell. I used to earn 100,000 (S$454) to 150,000 rupees a month. That stability is gone.”

Farm labourer Mehdi Hassan, 40, said entire neighbourhoods were washed away.

“My home is completely destroyed. We’ve been left on the roadside with whatever we could carry. We tried to build our own dams but the water still took everything,” he added.

Officials say the floods are the worst in decades, with major dams near capacity, and more rain is forecast.

Bumper to bust

Farmers and exporters warn the impact on agriculture will be staggering. Rice, sugarcane, maize, vegetables and cotton fields across Punjab are underwater. 

Mr Ibrahim Shafiq, export manager at Latif Rice Mills, said: “We were expecting a bumper rice crop this year. 

“Paddy was forecast to open at 3,200 to 3,600 rupees per 40kg, but with flood damage, prices could rise to 5,000 to 5,500. That will push rice prices up for local consumers and make us uncompetitive against India internationally.”

Cotton losses also threaten the textile industry, which makes up more than half of Pakistan’s exports, at a time when the country faces a 19 per cent US tariff on its biggest market.

Agriculture technology firm Farmdar said the damage is likely to be exponential, given the vast stretches of farmland along the rivers now underwater.

Mr Ghasharib Shoukat, co-founder of commodities platform Zarai Mandi, warned that wheat, vegetable and cotton shortages would ripple through supply chains, hurting exports and household budgets.

The disaster comes at a sensitive time for Pakistan’s fragile economy. Inflation had cooled to 4.1 per cent in July, from 11.1 per cent in July 2024, and food inflation, which spiked above 50 per cent in 2023, had eased.

Officials now expect the August inflation reading, due on Sept 1, to come in at 4 per cent to 5 per cent, with food shortages already driving prices higher. Analysts say delayed wheat sowing, shrinking rice exports and the need to import cotton will deepen the pressure.

Tents now, tomorrow unknown

The destruction extends beyond fields. In Lahore, 38-year-old rickshaw driver Aslam said he waded through almost 2m of water to pull his three-wheeler vehicle to safety.

“I’ve lived near the Ravi all my life and it never flooded my home before. This time, it came inside in hours. If I hadn’t saved my rickshaw, we would have lost everything. It is my only livelihood,” said Mr Aslam, who is now staying in a relief tent.

A muddy tent city has been erected near Ravi River, where families huddle under tarpaulins and tents, some beside foul-smelling drains.

About 150 to 200 camps have been set up for the displaced just in that area, said Dr Ijaz Nazeer from Al Khidmat Foundation.

Each tent is home to around five to eight people.

With three of Pakistan’s main rivers flooded, the authorities in the Punjab have set up 511 relief camps, 351 medical sites and 321 veterinary facilities, evacuating nearly 481,000 people and 405,000 animals so far. More than 15,000 police officers have been deployed as monsoon rains continue.

Farmers and experts warn that the cost of recovery will run into billions of rupees to rebuild homes and re-establish farms. 

Farmer and activist Aamer Hayat Bhandara said that unless the recovery is supported, food insecurity will deepen.

“Farmers grow the food that sustains us all. If they are left alone in times of disaster, the whole nation will suffer,” he said. REUTERS