April showers hamper wheat operations

Tribune News Service

Chandigarh, April 26

Widespread rain across Haryana today damaged the wheat lying in the open at various grain markets even as farmers rued the inadequate arrangements at purchase centres to deal with the showers.

Too early to talk of crop loss

It is too early to comment whether the rain has caused any major loss to the wheat crop. The government will set up a team to assess the loss, if any. — A senior official of Agriculture Department

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The rain that lashed Karnal damaged the wheat produce lying in the open while arhtiyas maintained that the slow lifting of the grain also contributed to their problems. Farmers have been forced to suspend harvesting for a couple of days as they alleged that there were insufficient arrangements at the procurement centres to cover the produce lying in the open.

In Kaithal, rain accompanied by strong winds caused damage to the grain lying in mandis and hampered harvesting operations at several places, adding to the worries of farmers. At some places, the accumulated rainwater increased the woes of the procurement agencies as water-soaked bags of grain cannot be lifted and the rush in the mandis leaves little space for drying it.

In Jhajjar, around 2,000 quintals of wheat lying in the open in purchase centres was soaked, claimed Chand Singh, president of Jhajjar Grain Market Commission Agents Association. The authorities, however, denied any damage.

Meanwhile, Additional Chief Secretary, Agriculture & Farmers’ Welfare Department, Sanjeev Kaushal stated that 3.08 lakh metric tonnes of wheat was procured from 21,144 farmers in the state on Sunday.