Climate change to ‘wipe out 30pc’ of Sindh’s cotton

by News Desk

ISLAMABAD: Minister for National Food Security and Research Syed Fakhar Imam has revealed that Sindh’s cotton crop will reduce by nearly a third this year due to climate change and described it as devastation not seen in a century.

As per estimates, Sindh province was going to lose nearly 30 per cent or 1.4 million bales of cotton this year due to climate change, Imam said while chairing a meeting here at the National Locust Control Centre (NLCC).

“Unfortunately cotton has been extraordinarily badly hit this year mainly due to climate change implications,” he added. He said cotton crop was also badly affected in other areas of the country but the Sindh province had been devastated at such a level that had never been seen in 100 years. Speaking about the country’s success in controlling locusts, Imam said: “The challenge of locust was no doubt enormous but it was met extraordinarily well with coordinated efforts of the NLCC, provincial governments, NDMA (National Disaster Management Authority), and of course the villagers of the affected areas.”

The minister also commended the efforts by all stakeholders including the leadership, people and concerned international institutions such as Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO), who played a vital role in controlling locusts.

He said due to timely deployment of equipment and other resources by the NDMA, “the country managed to avoid any major loss”.

Describing the uncharacteristic circumstances of the locust challenge, Imam said about 63 districts of the country — 10 each from Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Punjab and Sindh and almost all districts of Balochistan — were affected by the locust attack and for the first time in 60 years, swarms of locusts entered the country from Afghanistan via the erstwhile Fata region and Dera Ismail Khan which was unexpected.

It was also for the first time that locust settled in the cropped areas of Balochistan when they routinely settle in desert areas. “Despite difficulties at economic front, every Pakistani citizen, institutions and leadership played due role in meeting the challenge, and this can be a case study how the locust was controlled.”

The minister also stressed the need for promoting agriculture-based economy in the country, saying that the ministry was in constant touch with the provinces to formulate such policies that would help development of the sector.