Ground frost hits potato, tomato crops in Malwa

Kulwinder Sandhu

Advertisement

Tribune News Service

Moga, January 13

With a cold wave sweeping across North India, ground frost has caused damage to the potato and tomato crops in certain parts of the Malwa belt.

However, freezing weather conditions are favourable for the wheat crop and would boost its productivity, said agro-scientist Dr Jaswinder Singh Brar.

Gurbhinder Singh of Bhinder Kalan village, Gurmej Singh of Kalu Arain (Ferozepur), Ajmer Singh of Badhni Kalan (Moga) and other farmers said that the chill was good for wheat.

Freezing temperatures have been prevailing in Moga, Ferozepur, Fazilka, Faridkot, Muktsar, Barnala and adjoining districts for the past few days with the minimum temperature remaining below normal by several notches.

Reports from far-flung villages in the Malwa belt revealed that the potato crop has got damaged because of ground frost. It will certainly impact the crop’s yield. Potato growers pointed out that 20 to 30 per cent of the potato crop in these districts had been hit by ground frost.

Bhupinder Singh, a potato grower in Bhinder Kalan village of Moga district, said, “Potato growers need to irrigate their fields. But in the absence of adequate power, the irrigation process has been hindered.”

Surjit Singh, a farmer of Jogewala village, said that the ground frost has taken a toll on the tomato crop also. Tomato plants having suffered damage in many villages of the Malwa belt.