The rain anticipated over the following handful of days could affect wheat and other rabi crops in the north-western States of Haryana and Punjab if it is accompanied by powerful wind, gurus reported on Wednesday.
“We are not certain no matter if there would be powerful winds along with the rains. Powerful winds can direct to lodging of wheat resulting in crop loss,” reported GP Singh, Director of the Indian Institute of Wheat and Barley Investigation, an Indian Council of Agricultural Investigation laboratory, situated at Karnal.
In accordance to Singh, normally, a bumper wheat crop is envisioned this calendar year.
The India Meteorological Department (IMD) and private temperature forecasting agencies these types of as Skymet have forecast common rain throughout numerous sections of North India in the following three-4 days. In accordance to IMD, some sections of North India can expect gusty winds of up to 40 km per hour.
“Light to reasonable rains can be effective to the crop, as they can assist the grains to turn into even bigger. But hailstorms, which are envisioned in some pockets, can harm the standing crop,” reported GP Sharma of Skymet. He reported there could be 4 days of rains, which would peak on March six.
“Farmers are normally fearful about unpredictable inclement temperature,” Sharma reported.
Ajay Vir Jhakhar of Bharat Krishak Samaj and Chairman of Punjab Farmers’ Fee, reported that with rains, soaked soil can loosen up and if there are winds, they can upset the stability of the standing wheat crop, which is presently heavy with grains. But rains on your own will have pretty tiny affect on the crop, Jhakhar reported.
In the meantime, Rajinder Singh, a former Haryana federal government agricultural extension employee in Karnal district, reported farmers in numerous villages in the district are fearful even about heavy rainfall. This is for the reason that due to encroachment as properly as highway construction, drainage is in disrepair in these villages. H2o-logging at this time can direct to stem rotting, affecting the crop. Quite a few wheat farmers in and about Gharaunda presently suffered losses in the rains that lashed on February 29. They have presently complained to the federal government, Singh reported.
Mustard crop loss
February 29 rains, accompanied by hailstorms, also impacted mustard and other crops in numerous Haryana districts, together with Rewari, Mahendragarh, Nuh, Bhiwani and Jhajjar, prompting the Haryana federal government to immediate insurance policies firms to assess the crop harm for compensating the farmers. The rains took place when the mustard crop was virtually completely ready for harvest and as a result, the crop harm was sizeable in numerous regions.
“The evaluation is currently on to make a decision on the compensation,” reported Suresh Gahlawat, a senior Haryana Agricultural Department formal seeking just after agricultural extension providers.