After multiple financial setbacks, Gurvinder Singh, a 47-year-old farmer from Gurdaspur in India’s Punjab state, was compelled to secure a loan of one million rupees ($11,000) from a private lender to fund his eldest daughter’s wedding. He managed to set aside part of this loan to cultivate 3 acres (1.2 hectares) of paddy with the high-yielding pearl variety of aromatic Basmati rice. Anticipated to earn nearly one million rupees per acre ($11,400 per 0.4 hectares), the prospects seemed bright. However, the fields are now flooded, with the pearl paddy submerged under layers of mud and silt. Singh, exasperated by the timing of the disaster, fears for his family’s future as their means to repay debts are now underwater.
Singh, who previously had to evacuate his family from rising floodwaters in their village, is contemplating the havoc wrought by the floods, which have claimed lives, displaced populations, and devastated lands. This disaster has had a significant impact on Punjab, one of India’s most agriculturally reliant regions where over 35% of the population depends on farming. The floods, the worst in four decades, have inundated large areas of paddy just as they were ready for harvest, threatening livelihoods and the state’s contribution to India’s $6 billion Basmati exports.
Counting the losses, initial assessments suggest over 450,000 acres (182,100 hectares) of cropland have been ruined, but some estimates warn that the actual damage may be up to five times more severe. Economics and innovation director Lakhwinder Singh warns that Punjab’s farmers need extensive support and investment from the government to recover. Meanwhile, the government has offered a minimal financial assistance of 20,000 Indian rupees ($230) per affected farmer, which is deemed insufficient to tackle the scale of the crisis. Discussions are also emerging on the implications of tariffs and trade policy, as nearly 6% of basmati rice is exported to the United States, which has imposed a 50% tariff on New Delhi.
The immediate concern for farmers is to clear and prepare their lands for the next season. The floods have left behind excess sediment and mud, complicating the process of making the fields ready for the Rabi season’s wheat crop. Moreover, there is a pressing concern about the shortage of fertilizers, particularly urea, critical for the upcoming planting season. The combination of reduced stockpiles, price increases, and increased demand due to panic buying are exacerbating the situation for the farmers already hampered by the floods.
As the region battles this unprecedented crisis, there is a sense of unity in adversity. Across the border, Pakistan’s Punjab province is facing a similar fate, highlighting the shared struggles of farming communities despite the political tensions between India and Pakistan. Amidst these challenges, Singh wonders about the future, grappling with the shared history of the rivers that have now become both a source of livelihood and despair.
Source: https://www.aljazeera.com/features/2025/9/22/restart-from-scratch-flood-hit-indian-farmers-look-at-swelling-losses?traffic_source=rss
