Rains bring back chill, worry wheat farmers in Chamba

Our Correspondent

Chamba, April 19

Intermittent rains and snowfall in the higher reaches of Chamba district for the past two days have brought down the temperature, leaving farmers in the low-lying areas, who were gearing up to harvest the wheat crop, concerned.

The minimum temperature across the district has dropped by 2-3°C, while the maximum temperature has fallen by over 6°C.

The abrupt change in the weather has prompted residents to take out warm clothing in anticipation of cold weather. Meanwhile, the Meteorological Department has forecast a wet spell till April 24.

While the precipitation has provided relief from heat, farmers in the plain areas — mainly Chowari subdivision — are a harried lot as their wheat crop is ready for harvest. Some farmers have even commenced harvesting their crops, but excessive rainfall following the precipitation could damage the crops.

However, alongside worries about losses, the rainfall proves advantageous for orchards and fruit crops in medium to high altitude areas like Bharmour, Pangi, Salooni, Churah, Khajjiar, Dalhousie and the Himgiri areas. Nevertheless, farmers and orchard owners remain wary of the threat of hailstorms, which could cause significant damage to their crops.

According to the Agriculture Department, wheat cultivation spans approximately 19,000 hectares in Chamba district, with an expected yield of 35-37 metric tonnes per hectare. Last year, the district yielded 36,000 metric tonnes of wheat. However, this time, crops incurred losses exceeding Rs 15 crore due to drought in December and January. Recent rains offer some respite, renewing hopes for a successful harvest.

Apart from this, 11,000 hectares are under apple cultivation in Chamba district, with annual production potential of over 31,000 metric tonnes. While timely rainfall and snowfall benefit fruit crops, hailstorms and excessive precipitation pose significant risks to other crops.

Kuldeep Dhiman, Deputy Director (Agriculture), stressed the importance of balanced weather conditions for agricultural productivity and stated that while rainfall aided crops in their growing stage, continuous precipitation, especially accompanied by hailstorms, threatened mature crops.

As the region prepares for more rains, farmers are closely monitoring the situation, to take remedial action and prevent losses.

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