Kharif crops: 4403 hectares damaged by 2010 flood, National Assembly told

A total of 2.364 million hectares of Kharif crops were sown during 2010, of which 4403.5 hectares area was damaged by flood. This included 0.195 million hectares of sugarcane, 0.876 million hectares of paddy, 0.598 million hectares of cotton and 0.695 million hectares of other crops.
A total of 2112.61 hectares were damaged by flood in Sindh, 1748.48 hectares in Punjab, 282.07 hectares in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and 260.34 hectares area of crops in Balochistan during flood 2010. According to information provided by the National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA) to the National Assembly Secretariat, 48,570 tons of wheat seed and 29,535.45 tons of urea fertiliser free of cost have been provided to the flood affected growers in the province of Sindh.
In Punjab, 10,68,807 bags of urea fertiliser and 10,54,563 bags of wheat seed of 50 kg were distributed among the flood-hit farmers free of cost in the districts of Mianwali, Bhakkar, Layyah, Dera Ghazi Khan, Muzaffargarh, Rajanpur, Rahim Yar Khan and Bahawalpur. Payments of agriculture loans by farmers in the flood affected districts were also deferred. In Balochistan, against federal government grant of Rs 638.40 million for agriculture, free seeds of wheat, sunflower, sorghum, paddy seed, alfalfa and cotton have been distributed among the farmers of 15 flood affected districts of the province.
In Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, the flood affectees of 12 severely affected districts were provided with input cost for wheat crop i.e. seed and fertiliser Rs 2400 per acre. The package was distributed among 102586 people covering an area of 200000 acres under wheat crop. The distribution of total amount of Rs 480 million has been made so far. The government has launched assistance plan for the 2011 Kharif crop for distribution of paddy seed and urea fertiliser on subsidised rates.