LAHORE: The recent floods in Punjab have left deep scars on its agricultural community, with small livestock farmers, landless labourers, and contractors bearing the heaviest toll. Though the damage affected all segments of rural society, some have suffered disproportionately, with many facing near-impossible circumstances.
According to the latest figures from the Provincial Disaster Management Authority (PDMA), the floods affected 27 of Punjab’s 37 districts, as rivers Chenab, Ravi, and Sutlej breached their banks. Around 4.76 million people and 4,700 villages were impacted, with 2.63m people and 2.11m livestock evacuated to safety. The death toll has reached 134, though the final figures may be higher, as the full-scale survey only began on September 24.
The scale of the disaster is staggering, with nearly 70 per cent of the province submerged. An official from the Agriculture Department, who spoke on condition of anonymity, described the floods as “unimaginable”, with virtually every crop, livestock, and human life in the region affected. The simultaneous swelling of all three major eastern rivers has created an unprecedented crisis for farmers, contractors, and rural communities.
Among those hardest hit are the contractors who, in recent years, have come to control nearly 70pc of Punjab’s farmland. “The contractors are by far the biggest sufferers,” said Khalid Khokhar, leader of Pakistan Kissan Ittehad. “Farmers who paid in advance are facing total losses, while those still to pay may receive some concessions. In total, their losses run into hundreds of billions of rupees.”
Recent deluges have disproportionately devastated small livestock owners and agricultural contractors, pushing many to the brink
While the financial losses for contractors are enormous, it is the small livestock farmers who face the most severe human toll. Abad Khan, a small farmer from Central Punjab, explained that many of these farmers depend on just two or three buffaloes for their livelihood, relying on regular milking to provide for their families.
After the floods, fodder and grass have become scarce, and the high cost of purchasing silage to feed the animals is further draining their already fragile finances. For many, this loss is compounded by the destruction of their homes, making recovery almost impossible.
“The situation is dire,” Khan said. “These families were already struggling, and now they are facing a level of poverty that is almost impossible to escape. Many are leaving for the cities or seeking work in the Gulf, but after years of recurring floods, they may fall even further down the poverty index.”
Aside from the human suffering, the floods also caused significant damage to crops, particularly rice, maize, and cotton. Rice yields have been hit hardest, with around 60pc of the crop destroyed, while maize and cotton losses are estimated at 20pc each. However, farmers like Naeem Hotiana, from the Arif Wala area, remain hopeful that the agricultural cycle will not be severely disrupted in the long term.
“The flood damage will mainly affect the standing crops,” Hotiana said. “But with wheat sowing still over a month away, farmers should be able to prepare their land in time. Potato sowing, which normally occurs by mid-October, can be delayed by a couple of weeks, meaning the agriculture cycle should resume without major disruption.”
Despite this, the immediate economic impact of the floods is profound. The crisis has exacerbated existing challenges, pushing many rural families further into poverty. The government’s ongoing survey will provide a clearer picture of the full extent of the damage in the coming weeks, but for now, it is clear that the floods have left a trail of destruction across Punjab’s rural landscape, particularly for those who were already the most vulnerable.
As the full recovery process begins, the focus will likely remain on aiding those hardest hit: the small farmers and contractors whose losses have affected both their livelihoods and their ability to recover. The floods have highlighted the profound vulnerabilities of the rural population in Punjab, prompting many to question the long-term sustainability of their agricultural livelihoods in the face of such extreme weather events.
Published in Brackly News, September 28th, 2025
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