★ Punjab, often called the "food basket of India," is a major producer of wheat and rice. Recent heavy rains and floods have submerged and damaged around 148,000 hectares of farmland, with all 23 districts of the state declared flood-affected.

★ According to the India Meteorological Department, Punjab has received 53% above-normal rainfall this monsoon season. Key agricultural districts like Pathankot, Gurdaspur, Amritsar, and Tarn Taran have witnessed nearly double the normal rains. In Gurdaspur, the core basmati belt, almost 80–90% of the crop has been destroyed. Significant losses have also been reported in stored grains, with nearly 35–40% of Punjab’s total cultivation area severely affected.

★ In 2024-25 (Apr–Mar), Punjab contributed about 40% to India’s total rice exports of 6.07 mln tn. The state had produced 384,000 tn of basmati rice on 812,000 ha in the last kharif season. In the current kharif season, Punjab sowed 3.552 mln ha of crops, including 3.249 mln ha under basmati and non-basmati rice.

★ Union Agriculture Minister visited Amritsar and Gurdaspur on Thursday, terming the situation serious. The Centre has sent two teams to assess the damage.

★ Meanwhile, similar flood conditions have been reported in Pakistan. With large-scale crop damage across the basmati belt, rice output is expected to decline. If export demand remains strong, there is a high probability of prices moving up.