Wheat Farmers In North India Face Heavy Losses As Weather Conditions Continue To Be Unfavorable
Wheat farmers in Punjab, Haryana, and Uttar Pradesh face significant losses due to untimely rains, hailstorms, and gusty winds that have already caused damage to their crops.
A new weather advisory was issued by the Meteorological Department on Sunday for farmers in Punjab and Haryana, forecasting another round of rainfall within the next 48 hours.
According to officials, more than 5.23 lakh hectares of wheat crops have been damaged due to unfavorable weather conditions in Madhya Pradesh, Rajasthan, and Uttar Pradesh.
The evaluation of wheat crop damage in Punjab and Haryana is still ongoing. This is the second year in a row that farmers are facing the consequences of extreme weather conditions. Last year the heat wave had caused a decrease in wheat yield.
Agriculture experts reported that the rainfall of the last two-three days caused severe damage to the mature wheat crop.
The Ministry of Agriculture will assess wheat crop damage with the state governments on Monday, according to officials.
Wheat farmers in Seona village, Patiala have expressed concern over the recent weather conditions, which have already caused around 40 per cent of their wheat crop to be damaged, The Tribune report said.
Jitendra Singh, a wheat farmer, warns that any fresh rainfall could double their losses due to the fact that the wheat crop is ready for harvest, according to the report.
Dr OP Bishnoi, a wheat specialist from Chaudhary Charan Singh Haryana Agricultural University, explaining the severity of the situation, said that water stagnation in the fields could cause earheads of wheat crop to submerge in water, reducing the quality of the grain.
Moreover, a hailstorm could shatter the grain leading to further losses. These concerns have garnered attention as farmers prepare for their harvest.
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