Chandigarh, April 8 Punjab Agriculture Minister Gurmeet Singh Khudian on Wednesday urged the Centre to immediately send a high-level team to assess the damage caused to wheat and other Rabi crops by recent heavy rainfall and hailstorms in the state.
In a letter to Union Agriculture Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan, Khudian highlighted that the severe impact of recent inclement weather on wheat crops in the state, while stating that wheat was sown on 35 lakh hectares during the current Rabi season, had promised a bumper yield, but incessant rainfall and hailstorms caused significant damage, pushing the farming community into deep distress.
"According to the preliminary assessment by the state agriculture department, crop loss has been reported on over 1.30 lakh acres. The damage is spreading as rain continues, and the final figure may rise," Khudian informed.
He further added that the damage is not limited to wheat only; vegetables, fodder, and other Rabi crops have also been affected across multiple districts, including Fazilka, Ferozepur, Sri Muktsar Sahib, Bathinda, Amritsar, Moga, and Mansa.
The crop loss is threatening the livelihoods of farmers and the state's agrarian economy.
Detailing the efforts afoot by the Punjab government in the face of the crisis, Khudian informed that the state has already ordered a special girdawari (crop loss assessment) to assess the crop damage.
Given the scale of losses and the financial strain on farmers, he sought immediate relief and compensation from the Centre.
Khudian emphasised that a central team is needed urgently for a detailed assessment, while assuring that the state government remains committed to supporting its farmers and will extend all necessary cooperation and support to the central team.