Chandigarh: Farmers across Punjab are facing renewed anxiety as back-to-back western disturbances threaten to damage standing wheat crops spread over more than 34 lakh hectares, raising concerns over yields and rural incomes.
The latest spell of rain, accompanied by strong winds and hail at the end of March, has already caused significant losses in several districts, particularly across the Malwa region. Reports of flattened crops have emerged from areas including Amritsar, Ludhiana, Bathinda and Mansa, where adverse weather conditions disrupted fields nearing harvest.
Meteorological forecasts indicate that two more western disturbances are expected to affect North India in the coming days, with one system likely between April 3–4 and another from April 7–9. Farmers fear that additional rainfall at this stage could further damage ripened wheat, impacting both quality and output.
Agricultural experts estimate that the recent weather has already led to losses of up to 20 per cent in some areas. In districts like Muktsar, the damage appears more severe, with thousands of acres affected and crop losses ranging between 50 and 75 per cent in certain pockets.
Farmer leader Balbir Singh Rajewal said cultivators have endured a difficult year, citing earlier flood damage to paddy crops and declining returns from other produce. He warned that continued weather disruptions could deepen the financial strain on farmers, many of whom are already burdened with debt.
Officials from the state’s agriculture department have deployed survey teams to assess the extent of damage, while experts have advised farmers to avoid irrigation and take precautionary measures during the current weather cycle.
Despite the uncertainty, the wheat procurement season has commenced, with the government setting the Minimum Support Price at ₹2,585 per quintal and arranging procurement infrastructure across the state.
While horticulture crops have largely escaped major damage so far, authorities remain cautious as evolving weather conditions could still impact agricultural output in the coming days.
