Weather update: Rain lashes parts of Punjab as paddy lies exposed in mandis; farmers fear fresh losses
PTC Web Desk: Fresh rain hit parts of Punjab since late Wednesday evening, adding to the troubles of farmers at a time when the paddy season is at its peak and mandis across the state are piled high with the crop.
The weather began changing late Wednesday night, when a western disturbance brought strong winds and heavy showers to Punjab, Haryana and Rajasthan. Winds of 40 to 50 km per hour were forecast for Punjab, along with thunder, lightning and hail at isolated places. Moga, Ludhiana, Barnala, Malerkotla, Patiala, Fatehgarh Sahib, Ropar, Mohali and Chandigarh are among the districts expected to see the worst of the weather.
The fresh spell has come before fields could dry after the rain of the past few days, which had already soaked the crop in both farms and mandis. For farmers, the concern is twofold: standing crop awaiting harvest could be flattened by wind and hail, while paddy already lying in the open risks getting wet again, pushing up moisture levels and delaying sales.
Procurement so far
Official figures show that 29.62 lakh tonne of paddy has arrived in Punjab’s mandis so far, of which 28.63 lakh tonne has been procured. However, only 13.46 lakh tonne has been lifted, meaning a large quantity is still sitting in the mandis, exposed to the elements.
Harvesting is continuing across the state, with farmers racing to bring in the crop before the weather worsens. The slow pace of lifting has been a recurring source of frustration, as piled-up stocks leave little room for fresh arrivals and increase the risk of damage during bad weather.
Farmer bodies have in the past demanded that the government speed up lifting and arrange adequate covering material, such as tarpaulins, to protect the produce during rain.
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- PTC NEWS
