Fresh showers dash hope of bumper paddy yield in Patiala

Already reeling under a sharp decline in yield due to false smut and dwarf virus attacks, farmers in the district now face another blow as unseasonal rain has lashed the region just when the paddy crop was ready for harvest.

The heavy downpour has sparked fears among farmers that their crop may not even survive. According to Agriculture Department data, the average yield per acre, which generally stands at 28 quintals, has this time dropped to around 25 quintals.

Officials said nearly 30,000 acres of crop across 400 villages in the district have been affected — either by flooding, false smut or dwarf virus. The situation has also led to a thin paddy arrival in mandis across the district. The crop that did arrive in open grain markets got drenched due to the rain.

In several mandis, including Devigarh, Daudhar, Rajpura, Banaur, Sanauri Mandi, Pur Mandi and Patiala Anaj Mandi, grain markets were submerged under water.

Farmers were seen struggling to protect their produce — some covering it with tarpaulins, while others remained seated in tractor-trolleys as the crop could not be unloaded due to a shortage of labour.

Pawan Kumar Singla, chairperson of the Patiala Arhtiyas’ Association, said the forecast of heavy rain triggered panic among farmers, who rushed to harvest their crop.

“Much of the paddy that reached the mandi over the past two days had high moisture content. Even the crop already filled into gunny bags got soaked. If the weather remains clear, it will take four to five days for the crop to dry. We have requested farmers who have storage space to hold their produce until it dries properly before bringing it to mandis,” he said.

He added that bringing paddy with high moisture could lead to disputes with lifting agencies, though procurement and payment processes remained smooth so far.

Chief Agriculture Officer (CAO) Patiala Jaswinder Singh urged farmers not to panic or believe in misinformation circulating online.

“There have been reports of crop flattening at some places, and teams are surveying the extent of damage. We expect the weather to stabilise with clear skies from tomorrow. Farmers should allow the crop to dry before harvesting to ensure smooth procurement and lifting at mandis,” he further said.