Author Topic: rain have damaged over 8000 acres of wheat crop (Read 949 times)

@SeKhOn@ · « **on:** April 19, 2011, 12:45:22 AM »

Wheat crop in over 8,000 acres of land in Moga and Kapurthala districts in Punjab is feared to have been damaged by rain and hailstorm. "As per our preliminary reports, the extent of wheat damage due to rains and hailstorm ranges from 10 to 35 per cent at scattered places in Moga district," an official of Punjab Agriculture Department said. "Maximum yield loss of 30-35 per cent is expected to be in Talwandi and Rouli areas of Moga where hailstorm and rains lashed yesterday," he said. Moga observed 38 mm of rainfall, maximum across the state yesterday. Area under wheat in Moga stands at 1.75 lakh hectares. Commissioner Ferozepur Division Ravinder Singh has ordered revenue assessment 'Girdawari' of damaged wheat and other crops in Moga district. A report from Kapurthala said rain and hailstorm caused damaged wheat crop more than 4,000 acres of land in villages Ahlikhurd and Ahlikalan. Ahilkhurd Sarpanch Harbans Singh said their wheat crop was completely damaged by rain and hailstorm. Punjab Finance Minister Upinderjit Kaur after visiting the affected fields ordered revenue assessment to provide compensation to farmers. Another report from Gurdaspur said about 5,000 quintals of wheat lying in the open got damaged in Dina Nagar, Dhariwal and Pathankot. Farmers accused procurement agencies of not lifting crop in Gurdaspur as crop got soaked with the untimely rain. However, rain and hailstorm lashed at other places of the state as well, causing flattening of crop but the quantum of damage has not been that much significant, an official said. With over 90 per cent of wheat crop yet to be harvested in both states, wheat experts have asked farmers to wait for two to three days more before setting out for harvesting. "Rain at this stage in not required at all when wheat crop is almost ready for harvesting...inclement weather can cause grain shattering which will in turn affect wheat yield," a senior official of Punjab Agriculture Department said. Rain accompanied by hailstorms lashed at various parts of Punjab and Haryana in past two days including Moga, Phillaur, Samrala, Ludhiana in Punjab and Mahendragarh, Jind and Sonepat in Haryana. "This rain will further delay the harvesting of crop," the official said. In February this year, rain and hailstorm hit the wheat crop at various places in Punjab. Significantly, over 90 per cent of wheat is yet to be harvested in Punjab and Haryana, making the maximum crop vulnerable to vagaries of weather. Wheat harvesting in both states got delayed because of extended cold conditions this year. Punjab, known as food bowl of the country is expecting to contribute 110 lakh tonne of wheat to the central pool, while Haryana expects 65 lakh tonne of crop. Before rain and hailstorm, Punjab was anticipating 157 lakh tonne of wheat output, 4 per cent more than last year's production. Asking wheat growers not to rush for crop harvesting, Punjab Agricultural University (PAU) farm scientists said, "Farmers should wait for 2 to 3 days more for harvesting as threat of rains and hailstorms still loom large, otherwise damage to crop could be more," PAU Wheat section Incharge Indu Sharma said. "After rain, farmers wait for another day for drying the crop in sunshine (to bring down the moisture content to specifications)," she said

Author Topic: rain have damaged over 8000 acres of wheat crop (Read 949 times)

@SeKhOn@

rain have damaged over 8000 acres of wheat crop

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