Just after a week, the sowing of Kharif crops will formally begin in Sindh. However, early sowing of cotton crops, a major Kharif cash crop, has already been reported in the lower Sindh region, as is the practice in vogue based on the strength of whatever flows are available in channels feeding farmlands.

However, by the end of the current Rabi season of this year, water flows for winter crops have not been encouraging given what the Indus River System Authority (Irsa) had predicted at the commencement of the season in October 2024. In early March, the water regulator had to revise its estimate of water shortage in Rabi from 16 per cent to 35pc in March. One Irsa official, however, said the shortage had risen to 51pc for Punjab and Sindh overall by the third week of March. Sindh’s overall shortage is 52.7pc by Mar 21.

Wheat acreage targets were revised downward for 2024-25 considering that the government stayed away from fixing wheat support prices and farmers — agriculture officials believe — preferred growing oilseed crops like sunflower, mustard and canola over wheat. Many also opted to increase rice cultivation. Cotton sowing and production targets were also missed last year. Against a growing target of 630,000 hectares, 582,000 hectares of cotton acreage were achieved in 2024-25 in Sindh.

Sindh, being at the tail end of the Indus Basin Irrigation System, experienced a 52.75pc overall water shortage till Mar 20, with Sukkur barrage, the province’s lifeline for agriculture, recording a 69.8pc water shortage. Water flow records of the past five years for Mar 20 showed that Sindh had borne the brunt of the 40.8pc water shortage in 2021; 39.1pc in 2022; 20.17pc in 2023; 24.35pc in 2024; and the highest (so far) overall shortage of 53.6pc in March 2025.........

© Dawn Business