By Moaaz Manzoor
Pakistan’s agriculture sector has suffered a staggering Rs430 billion in damages due to the 2025 floods, with large portions of rice, cotton, sugarcane, maize, and vegetable crops submerged.
This catastrophic event has had a severe impact on food security, export potential, and the livelihoods of rural communities, as revealed by the Planning Ministry’s initial flood damage report.
The 2025 Floods and Their Impact on Pakistan’s Agriculture
According to data gathered from provincial Crop Reporting Services and SUPARCO, the agricultural devastation caused by the floods is among the worst in Pakistan’s history.
As a result, the government has revised growth projections for the agriculture sector downward, now expecting a growth rate between 3.0 and 3.8 percent for FY2026, down from an initial target of 4.5 percent.
Economic Consequences of the Floods on Pakistan’s Agriculture Sector
The report highlights that vast areas of cultivated land remain underwater, leaving millions of farmers struggling to recover from the loss of crops and valuable assets. The provinces of Punjab, Sindh, and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa were particularly hard-hit, with prolonged flooding damaging both standing crops and those stored for later use.
In total, the floods wiped out 22,841 livestock, depriving rural families of essential income and food sources.
Flooding in Punjab, Sindh, and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa: Areas Hit Hardest
The economic impact is expected to ripple across various sectors due to the interconnected nature of agriculture with other industries. Already, signs of slowdown are visible in industries like textiles, food processing, and fertilizer manufacturing.
The services sector is also feeling the pinch as reduced rural incomes and lower trade activity take their toll.
Decline in Rice Exports Due to Pakistan Agriculture Flood Damage 2025
On the international front, the damage to agriculture has severely hampered Pakistan’s export capacity. The report estimates a decline of $450 million in rice exports in FY2026, with output expected to drop to between 8.3 and 8.9 million tons, falling short of the 9.5 million-ton target.
This loss in exportable rice will likely lead to higher imports of raw cotton, wheat, and pulses, widening the trade deficit and putting pressure on Pakistan’s foreign exchange reserves.
The Need for Immediate Recovery in Pakistan’s Agricultural Heartlands
The report also warns that the delay in the receding floodwaters could push back the sowing of Rabi crops, particularly wheat, in the flood-affected areas of southern Punjab and Sindh. This delay may worsen food shortages in the coming year.
Author Profile
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Moaaz Manzoor is a business correspondent who meticulously tracks Pakistan’s crucial but neglected natural resource industries.
He specializes in exposing inefficiencies and charting the course of modernization, highlighting how efforts to mechanize mining have dramatically cut marble and granite wastage, driving a recovery and attracting vital investment.
