Insider report on Pakistan rice and flooding situation

This comes from one of my connections in Pakistan. Pakistan is facing severe rains and flood. The Indus river passing through the centre of the country has damaged communication means, properties and crops specially in province of Punjab and Sind, the rice growing areas. Further rains have been forecasted and will be continued till 1st week of September. Cotton, wheat and Pulses crops have damaged / destroyed. It is expected in the coming months prices of essential items will further rise while during the last 2 weeks prices of local rice market have increased by $ 30 - 40 PMT. The water level in Punjab have started falling and it is expected the situation will be clear within next 10days. Currently the big wave of flood water is passing through the Sind province reported some rice growing area Irri-9 and Irr-6 have also been effected by the flood water. The situation will be clear after falling of water level. NEWS FROM NET Pakistan Floods Destroy Crops Worth Billions By news desk on August 13,2010 Flood surges triggered by unprecedented monsoon rains have swept devastating low-lying areas of Punjab and Sindh provinces, the densely populated economic and agricultural heartland of Pakistan with estimates of around half a million MT each of wheat and sugar crops been totally destroyed. Pakistan's Finance Ministry said this week the floods would hit growth and this year's gross domestic product growth target of 4.5 percent would be missed, though it was not clear by how much. Growth was 4.1 percent in the last fiscal year. On damage to the rice crop, the farmers' association put the losses at about 200,000 MT of rice, an estimate also supported by a Singapore-based trading company. The United Nation's Food and Agricultural Organization (FAO) has also warned of serious threats to the livelihoods and food security of millions. The U.N. has started a $460 million appeal for aid on Aug. 11 and the U.S. has pledged $55 million in assistance. The U.K. allocated 16.8 million pounds ($26 million) and earmarked up to 31.3 million pounds for relief aid