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Riaz Khan Daudzai PESHAWAR: The government decision to allow export of wheat to Afghanistan may hit hard Khyber Pakhtunkhwa where a severe grain shortage is feared as about 9,550 families have lost their grain stocks to the recent flooding, while a huge quantity of hybrid seed and mother plants were also destroyed by the calamity in the province.
According to an assessment carried out by the Agriculture Department, 93,500 tonnes of grain stores in some 10 districts of the province worth Rs3.820 billion was lost to the flood. The report said that wheat worth Rs100 million was lost in Swat, Rs400 million in Dir Upper and wheat worth Rs12 million was lost in Dir Lower.
In Malakand, about 1,000 tonnes of grain worth Rs40 million was destroyed when the floodwater entered various houses in the district. In Charsadda, the flood washed away grain worth Rs600 million while in Peshawar 40,000 tonnes grain worth Rs1.6 billion was swept away by the floodwaters.
In Nowshera, another worst hit district, some 20 families lost their grain stores of Rs800 million and in Shangla the households hit by floods lost their grain worth Rs20 million. The assessment report showed that in Kohistan, the grain stores of 1,000 families were destroyed as a result of which these families sustained a loss of Rs40 million while in Battagram 500 tonnes of grain was washed away by the flooding that cost Rs20 million to about 500 families.
The recent floods also destroyed tonnes of seed and mother plants in various public sector research institutes and farms, which may lead to seed shortage across the province. The Cereal Crop Research Institute Pirsabak, Nowshera, fell prey to the flooding where 150 tonnes of pre-basic, basic and certified wheat seed worth million of rupees was destroyed. The flooding also washed away 2.8 tonnes of hybrid maize seed and 10 tonnes of maize grain stored in the institute.
The procurement store at the Tarnab Farm, Peshawar, was also hit by the flood which swept away 160 tonnes of wheat seed worth Rs8 million while the flood also destroyed 100 tonnes of wheat seed in Agriculture Office, DI Khan. The assessment report put the total loss of seed in the public sector research institutes of the province at Rs19.856 million.
Akbar Khan, an agriculturist associated with an international agency, said the government should take the grain and seed loss in the province seriously to avoid an imminent food chain break.
Provincial Disaster Management Authority Director General Shakeel Qadir, however, told The News that the government was very much alive to the situation and was taking steps to ensure timely supply of both seed and grain to the flood-hit areas. He said that to avoid any shortage in wheat producing areas of the province the government would ensure the procurement of seed, which would be provided to these areas before October 30.
The Local Food Grain and Wholesale Association also expressed concern over the decision and said the government’s step of allowing wheat export to Afghanistan might cause a surge in prices of flour in the wheat-deficient province.
Wheat export to Afghanistan to hit Khyber Pakhtunkhwa hard
According to an assessment carried out by the Agriculture Department, 93,500 tonnes of grain stores in some 10 districts of the province worth Rs3.820 billion was lost to the flood. The report said that wheat worth Rs100 million was lost in Swat, Rs400 million in Dir Upper and wheat worth Rs12 million was lost in Dir Lower.
In Malakand, about 1,000 tonnes of grain worth Rs40 million was destroyed when the floodwater entered various houses in the district. In Charsadda, the flood washed away grain worth Rs600 million while in Peshawar 40,000 tonnes grain worth Rs1.6 billion was swept away by the floodwaters.
In Nowshera, another worst hit district, some 20 families lost their grain stores of Rs800 million and in Shangla the households hit by floods lost their grain worth Rs20 million. The assessment report showed that in Kohistan, the grain stores of 1,000 families were destroyed as a result of which these families sustained a loss of Rs40 million while in Battagram 500 tonnes of grain was washed away by the flooding that cost Rs20 million to about 500 families.
The recent floods also destroyed tonnes of seed and mother plants in various public sector research institutes and farms, which may lead to seed shortage across the province. The Cereal Crop Research Institute Pirsabak, Nowshera, fell prey to the flooding where 150 tonnes of pre-basic, basic and certified wheat seed worth million of rupees was destroyed. The flooding also washed away 2.8 tonnes of hybrid maize seed and 10 tonnes of maize grain stored in the institute.
The procurement store at the Tarnab Farm, Peshawar, was also hit by the flood which swept away 160 tonnes of wheat seed worth Rs8 million while the flood also destroyed 100 tonnes of wheat seed in Agriculture Office, DI Khan. The assessment report put the total loss of seed in the public sector research institutes of the province at Rs19.856 million.
Akbar Khan, an agriculturist associated with an international agency, said the government should take the grain and seed loss in the province seriously to avoid an imminent food chain break.
Provincial Disaster Management Authority Director General Shakeel Qadir, however, told The News that the government was very much alive to the situation and was taking steps to ensure timely supply of both seed and grain to the flood-hit areas. He said that to avoid any shortage in wheat producing areas of the province the government would ensure the procurement of seed, which would be provided to these areas before October 30.
The Local Food Grain and Wholesale Association also expressed concern over the decision and said the government’s step of allowing wheat export to Afghanistan might cause a surge in prices of flour in the wheat-deficient province.
Wheat export to Afghanistan to hit Khyber Pakhtunkhwa hard
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