BADIN, Sept 15: To reclaim the rain-affected lands, fresh watering was required after draining out saline water, said district agriculture officer Ali Hassan Arain here on Monday.

He told this correspondent that 225,000 acres of land were affected by the recent rains and the assessment of losses on the basis of average yield and minimum prices of the crops was Rs2.262 billion.

Giving details, he said that cotton sowed on 15,938 acres of land sustained 85 per cent loss, sugarcane on 116,174 acres 65 per cent loss, rice on 208,000 acres 63 per cent loss, chilli on 20,682 acres 95 per cent loss, vegetable on 10,576 acres 95 per cent loss, tomato and onion on 3,000 acres each sustained 100 per cent losses.

Mr Arain said that in the aftermath of the rains, the crops had been invaded by insects and advised the farmers to use any pesticide of the Confidor group for white-backed plant hopper.

Replying a question, he said that out of 23 posts of agriculture officers in the district, 15 posts were lying vacant.

Responding to another question, he said that 81 registered dealers of pesticides and 87 of fertilizers were operating in the district.

He said that 41 samples of fertilizers were recently sent to laboratory and four of them found unfit the dealers of which would be tried in a court of law.