Pakistan: Basmati crop damage causes $260m loss

Pakistan has suffered a huge loss of around $260 million owing to severe damage caused by strong winds coupled with rains and fog to the standing paddy of Basmati in the Punjab this season (2006-07).

Private estimates put the damage as high as 20 per cent or around 0.4 million MT of the estimated total production of 2 million MT harvested this season.

The rapidly changing climatic patterns with rising trend in accumulation of condensed fog during harvesting season of paddy crop is being taken as a major factor for higher damage.

On an average there had been 10 to 15 per cent wastage to Basmati paddy due to host of factors but lately with growing problem of fog resulting in higher moisture during the harvesting season the damage ratio has doubled and is likely to grow in years to come.