FAO/GIEWS - Foodcrops & Shortages 06/99 - PAKISTAN (2 June)
In the third dekad of May a Tropical Cyclone "2A" devastated a number of towns and fishing villages along the southern coast near the city of Karachi. The worst affected districts were Thatta, Badin and Tharparkar. An estimated 700 people were killed and a further 2000 are missing. In addition to casualties, an estimated 18 000 hectares of crop land were damaged.
The recently harvested wheat crop is estimated at 18 million tonnes some 4 percent below last year. The decline is largely attributed to lower yields, due to reduced use of fertilizers, prolonged dry weather in rain-fed areas, which produce around 16 percent of total output, and late planting. Wheat production in the country is expected to remain stable around current levels in future due to competition from alternative crops and problems with salination, input supply and seed quality. Assuming normal weather, 1999 rice production is forecast at 5 million tonnes, similar to last year and around 18 percent the five year average between 1993 and 1997.
Wheat imports for the 1998/99 marketing year are estimated at 2.9 million tonnes and are forecast to increase in 1999/00, due to lower domestic production this year.
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