ISLAMABAD: The Senate Standing Committee on National Food Security & Research on Friday was informed that about 2.5 million acres of agricultural land were damaged due to recent torrential rains and flash floods across the country. The committee met here with Senator Syed Masroor Ahsan in the chair and reviewed different matters relating to national food security and development of agriculture sector of the country, said a press release. The meeting was informed that about 2.5 million acres of agricultural land across all provinces had been damaged due to recent floods, adding that 7 per cent of Punjab and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa’s agricultural land was severely affected. It was informed that different standing crops covering over 3.5 million acres of land were damaged by flash floods, the worst-hit crops include rice, sugarcane, and maize in the Punjab. The Chairman Committee said that this was a national disaster, adding that affected areas must be declared disaster-hit, and immediate assistance should be provided through the Benazir Income Support Program. DNA
