Floods ravage 725 hectares of crops in Una, farmers suffer Rs 2.44-cr loss

Heavy rains and floods during the current monsoon season have wreaked havoc on agriculture in Una district, destroying standing crops on 725 hectares and causing an estimated loss of Rs 2.44 crore to farmers.

Deputy Director of Agriculture, Kulbhushan Dhiman, said maize — sown across 30,850 hectares this year — suffered the heaviest damage. Nearly 668 hectares were washed away, resulting in losses of Rs 1.88 crore. Vast fields of rotten maize now stand as evidence of the prolonged two-month spell of rain and waterlogging that gripped the district.

Paddy and vegetables were also badly affected. Of the 200 hectares under paddy cultivation, 68 hectares were damaged, leading to a loss of Rs 19 lakh. Meanwhile, vegetable growers reported losses of Rs 33 lakh, with 38 hectares of crops washed away out of 411 hectares under cultivation.

The continued downpour has also disrupted the sowing season for potatoes, delaying it by at least 10 days. Dhiman explained that the potato crop — grown for two months before the Diwali harvest — earns good returns for Una farmers, as it precedes the wheat season. However, timely sowing will now depend on whether the rains ease and fields dry sufficiently for cultivation.

“If it does not rain any further, farmers may still manage to sow potatoes,” Dhiman said, adding that market prices for the crop will also be influenced by whether farmers in Punjab are able to plant their crop on time, since farmlands there are also waterlogged.