LAHORE: Initial reports predicting a catastrophic loss to Pakistan’s Basmati crop due to severe flooding in the Indus delta region have been largely overstated.

While global media outlets speculated in late August that the damage could be as high as 60 per cent, more recent official assessments suggest the impact is far less significant. The Rice Exporters Association of Pakistan (REAP) has dismissed these early reports, assuring international buyers that the country’s Basmati export capacity remains intact.

According to the Agriculture Department of Punjab, which accounts for more than 90pc of Pakistan’s Basmati production, floodwaters have affected an estimated 250,000-270,000 hectares of rice fields in Punjab. This represents only about 10.1pc of the total rice-growing area in the region, which covers 2.7 million hectares in the 2025 Kharif season. The damage estimate is consistent with reports from the Food and........

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