Rain damages crop in fields and mandis, farmers anxious

Tribune News Service

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Patiala/ Nabha, April 20

The rainfall on Monday added to the woes of Punjab farmers.The rain not only damaged the standing wheat, but also the produce lying in mandis. Farmers who were yet to begin harvesting have been hit the most as moisture content in grain beyond the permissible limit (12 per cent) will be disastrous.

Dr Darshan Pal of the Krantikari Kisan Union has demanded compensation at Rs 200 per quintal to farmers in Patiala, Moga, Ludhiana, Sangrur and Fatehgarh Sahib.

Harjit Singh Sheru, president of the Arhtiya Association Anaj Mandi, Patiala, said procurement had been halted for a day or two. “We have no choice but to harvest the damaged crop.The wheat grains will swell and then lose water and weight. This will result in losses. We expect the acreage to shrink from 22 quintals per acre to 18 quintals/acre,” said a worried Daljit Singh, a farmer from Rapura.

Pargat Singh, a contract farmer from Raungla village in Patiala, said he had to pay fixed lease money to the landowner. “First the windstorm, then hailstorm and now the rains have ruined they crop, ” he said, pointing at the flattened fields. “We have been left to the mercy of the bureaucracy which will prepare the damage estimates,” he added.

Damanvir Singh, a farmer from Phillaur, said that with the fields inundated, combine harvester could no longer be used. Jalandhar Bharatiya Kisan Union chief Amrik Singh said: “A percentage of grain was lost because of strong winds. Now accumulated water has turned the grain blackish, deteriorating the quality. Also, the Jalandhar grain market does not have enough tarpaulins to cover the produce.”

Refuting the claim, Mandi Board officer Davinder Singh Kainth said they had made adequate arrangements in mandis. “Losses have been reported only in the fields.”