Punjab: Rain halts paddy harvesting across Ludhiana region
Unseasonal rainfall across Punjab’s Ludhiana region has halted paddy harvesting and disrupted procurement, with waterlogged fields delaying combine operations by 2–4 days. Wet produce is being rejected for excessive moisture, while damaged market sheds have exposed stored paddy to rainwater, increasing farmers’ losses.
Sunday’s unseasonal rainfall brought paddy harvesting to a halt across the region while disrupting procurement operations in several grain markets, compounding concerns of farmers.
Their anxiety has intensified as the Punjab Agricultural University weather forecast predicts a partly cloudy sky with the possibility of light to moderate rainfall at isolated places in Ludhiana and adjoining areas over coming days.
Thousands of acres of mature paddy standing in the fields have been affected as combine harvesters are unable to operate on waterlogged land.
“The wet conditions will delay harvesting by at least two to four days, as heavy machinery cannot function in muddy fields,” said Harvinder Singh of Samrala.
Farmers fear that an extended spell of damp weather could damage the crop and adversely affect yields.
“The crop is fully mature and ready for harvesting, but the rain has made it impossible for combines to enter the fields,” said a local farmer, Gurpreet Singh. “We will have to wait for the land to dry, which may take several days. If the weather remains unsettled, the crop may suffer and farmers could incur substantial financial losses,” he added.
The rainfall has also affected paddy stocks lying in grain markets.
“My produce got wet and procurement agencies refused to purchase it as the moisture content exceeded the prescribed limit. As a result, procurement operations have been disrupted,” said Gursewak Singh, a farmer from Machhiwara.
The rain has also exposed glaring deficiencies in storage infrastructure.
The farmers alleged that the shed at the Machhiwara grain market, already in a dilapidated state, failed to provide adequate protection during the rain. Rainwater seeped through the damaged roof, soaking several bags of produce stored underneath.
“We work hard throughout the year to raise this crop but inadequate facilities continue to put our harvest at risk,” said another farmer.
A similar situation was reported at the Gill Road grain market.
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Source : The Tribune
