Pakistan’s flood-hit countryside is battling a triple crisis disaster that drowned the fields, profiteers who drove fodder prices sky-high, and the silent hunger now gripping livestock. The land lies smothered under stagnant water; crops and fodder suffocate, green fields vanish, and the hunger of buffaloes, cows, goats, and sheep has become a daily sight. Prices have soared to the sky while farmers, with tearful eyes fixed upward, wait for a miracle. What began as raging waters has now turned into a long war for survival. Triple crises in one glance: drowned fields, inflated markets, and starving cattle now define rural life.
Stagnant water has destroyed green fields, leaving thousands of cattle without fodder and pushing prices to record highs. Pakistan’s livestock buffaloes, cows, goats, and sheep rely on green crops like maize (makai), sorghum (jowar), barseem (Egyptian clover), and lucerne (alfalfa); dry fodder such as wheat straw (bhusa) and rice husk; and concentrated feed like wanda (grains, oilcakes, minerals, molasses). These were either swept away by floods or remain inaccessible due to waterlogging and broken supply chains.
Federal Law Minister Azam Nazeer Tarar told Parliament the disaster displaced 2.1 million people, killed nearly 1,000, damaged over 9,000 homes, and led to the death of more than 7,000 livestock. Farmers now struggle to keep alive the animals they managed to save.
In Jhang, farmer Imran stood by his starving cattle. “The floods took my crops, my fodder, my peace of mind. My cattle may die before help arrives,” he said.
Tasawar Abbas from the same area lost half his buffaloes. “The calves drowned. The survivors may now die of hunger,” he said.
Khalid Bajwa from Sialkot lamented, “Wheat straw and wanda are double the price. How do I feed my cattle when I’ve lost everything?”
Veterinary doctor Sadiq Umar cautioned that hunger is only one part of the crisis. “Animals weakened by starvation are vulnerable to FMD, HS, and Anthrax. With stagnant water and contaminated surroundings, the risks multiply. Weakness, low milk production, and sudden deaths are looming threats,” he warned.
Rai Faisal Farooq of Al-Khidmat Foundation brought fodder to Jhang at double the rate. “Wanda that cost Rs 2,000 now costs Rs 4,200. I collected money from schoolchildren, but it’s never enough,” he said.
Fareed Maghiana added, “Silage now sells for Rs 1,700 instead of Rs 700. Wheat straw has doubled too. Green fodder is gone. Even toori that was Rs 400 per maund is now Rs 800.”
Warehouse owners admit prices will rise further. “We are businessmen. Stocks are low and demand is high,” said Amir Hayat of Jhang.
Elderly Sughran Bibi wept as she recalled her buffalo dying of hunger after surviving the flood. “Her milk was my daily bread. Now I have nothing.”
In Sialkot, volunteer Faisal said, “Farmers are paying Rs 1,150 for a small bag of silage. Animals are collapsing. We’re trying to help, but costs are rising fast.”
Yousaf Haider of Al-Khidmat Foundation said they’ve fed over 1,000 animals, “but demand is growing daily. Without continuous supply, animals will die.”
Social worker Ismail Taj said families are camped on dry patches with their cattle. “These animals are their only wealth. Without fodder, both will perish.”
Farmer Hafiz Tariq from Kabirwala is living roadside. “Silage and transport costs are draining my savings. I’m spending everything to keep my animals alive.”
Farmer Ahmed Nawaz urged: “Just like flour prices were controlled by the Punjab Chief Minister – and eventually came down – fodder prices too can be checked if the government intervenes.”
Village head Rai Ghulam Ali added, “Our animals are starving. Without help, both farmers and livestock will be wiped out.”
Despite NGO help, the need is far greater. Hoarding and profiteering continue. Experts warn that without subsidies or strict price controls, livestock deaths will rise deepening farmers’ losses.
The floods may have receded, but the fodder crisis remains a slow, strangling disaster. In every village, from schoolchildren donating coins to farmers sharing feed, stories of resilience shine through. Yet hunger haunts the land – and with each day that passes, both farmers and their livestock edge closer to ruin.