Rain, high-speed winds damage crops in Malwa

Kulwinder Sandhu

Tribune News Service

Moga, March 1

It is feared that widespread rain accompanied by high-velocity winds may have caused damage to the wheat crop in parts of Moga, Ferozepur, Fazilka, Faridkot, Muktsar and Barnala districts in the Malwa belt. This could have an adverse impact on the overall wheat yield.

Wheat crop in several villages has been flattened. There have been reports of waterlogging at several places because of heavy rain since morning. Lodging has occurred in many villages, an official of Punjab Agriculture Department said. The term refers to the crop falling flat on the ground because of rain and winds, resulting in yield loss.

Agriculture Officer Dr Jaswinder Singh Brar said that rain at this stage could have a negative impact on the early sown wheat crop.The Meteorological Department has predicted light to moderate rain accompanied by thundershowers at several places in the next 24 hours.

Baldev Singh, Rajinder Singh, Hardev Singh and other farmers of Talwandi Bhangerian village said that rain had also affected mustard and gram crops as well as seasonal horticultural crops.

Jaswinder Singh of Takhtuwala village said rain had damaged not only wheat but oilseeds too.

Two weeks ago, a hailstorm had caused damage to the wheat crop. The state government has already ordered a special girdawari to ascertain the loss caused by the hailstorm. Not rains have added to the woes of the farming community.