Moderate rain delights farmers

Charanjit Singh Teja

Tribune News Service

Amritsar, December 12

With the region receiving substantial rain today, farmers in the region were a happy lot, saved as they were from the trouble of irrigating their wheat crop from irrigation. The farmers said the wheat crop is required to be irrigated 50 days after the sowing.

Joginder Singh, a farmer, said, “This time, it has been a good season as we did not have to make efforts to make arrangements for irrigating the fields as the rain did serve our purpose.” He said farmers have to spend money on diesel in case electricity supply is not available.

However, the rains have helped in a decrease in the daily average temperature and the residents are elated. Another resident, Kirpal Singh, said, “The rains are good for vegetable crops, but these might damage the vegetable crops. I hope the prices of vegetables do not increase after the rains.”

However, the rains have brought a much needed respite for the residents who have been thinking that changes in weather conditions were adversely affecting the local conditions. “The winters are not so cold these days as they used to be earlier. The rising pollution levels are to be blamed,” said Harjinder Singh, a local resident.

Agricultural experts said the rain has had good effect on the crops as the area had been facing a dry spell for the past many months. Agricultural Officer Dr SS Sandhu said, “The overall impact of the rain is good. Some crops which have been minutely sown would be adversely affected but overall it is good for farmers.”