Punjabi Diary: Heavy rain and hailstorms damage crops, delay paddy harvest in the state

In the past couple of days, heavy rainfall has inundated thousands of acres of agricultural land in Punjab, damaging standing crops and bringing misery for the farmers. This and more in our weekly news update from the north Indian state.

Heavy rain worries paddy farmers in Punjab. Source: Twitter

Heavy rains, coupled with hailstorms and strong winds in some places of Punjab, have delayed paddy harvesting by four to five days in various districts across the state.

Major crops like basmati, sugarcane, potato and peas were affected the most. The recent rains not only harmed the standing crop but also caused the seeding of seasonal vegetables to be postponed. 

In light of the situation, chief minister Charanjit Singh Channi on 25 October directed the procurement agencies to immediately take all necessary steps to put the paddy procurement process back on track.

Acting on his instructions, the officials took stock of the situation arising out of the heavy downpour and its effect on the paddy crop lying in the mandis.

Click on the player above to listen to the update in Punjabi.

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