Haryana: Officials Estimate 20 Per Cent Loss In Wheat Production; Accurate Assessment Will Be Key

According to the Haryana agriculture department, untimely rains and hailstorm have caused an estimated loss of nearly 20 per cent in wheat production this year.

Initially, officials had predicted a yield of 110.75 LMT (lakh metric tonnes), but this projection is now expected to decrease by 20 per cent due to the weather conditions.

This loss affects 59.10 lakh acres of wheat farmland in the state, all of which is currently ready for harvest.

Mustard was grown on 18.15 lakh acre and estimated to yield 14 LMT of production this year.

Losses to wheat crop were initially estimated at just over 10 per cent, but two to three days of constant rainfall during harvest season caused the losses to double.

“The main challenge for farmers would be accurate assessment of losses in their crops because sometimes the losses are underestimated by the officials. This is not the first time that rains damaged the crops, actually the farmers have faced losses in five consecutive crops," Koth told the paper, adding that only mustard crop gave them good returns last year, but this year there will be losses in mustard, too.

Last week, former chief minister Bhupinder Singh Hooda urged for a bonus of Rs 500 per quintal for wheat crop and emphasised on accurate evaluation of the losses.

According to him, girdawari reported only 20-25 per cent losses while in various areas, crop damage ranged from 60 to 80 per cent.

Chief Minister Manohar Lal Khattar has ordered a special crop assessment. The Deputy Commissioners must complete the girdawari work by 15 April to ensure farmers receive compensation by May.