Faridkot
The farmers claim that over 50 per cent of the crop has fallen, but agriculture officials deny it pegging it at about 10 per cent.
“I had sown wheat on about 20 acres, but all fell flat last night. Now it will affect the yield of the crop,” said Jagsir Singh,a farmer from village Niamiwala of the district.
“All my crop on 13 acres was in very good position and I expected bumper yield due to the favourable weather conditions. But the fast winds led to logging of the crop. It will certainly lead to loss of the yield,” said Gurmeet Singh from the village Duareana of Faridkot.
Both Jagseer and Gurmeet said that most of the crop in their areas have fallen.
Sukhjinder Singh, another farmer from Niamiwala village said that all his wheat crop on about 13 acres of land has fallen.
“Most of the crops in the district have fallen due to the fast winds,’ said Sukhjinder Singh.
Dharam Singh, a farmer from village Panjgrain kalan said that about 40 acres of his crop has suffered logging while crops in 6 acres stand in good condition.
However, most of the crop has fallen at many places, though in patches or wide stretches.
Even some said that wheat crop standing in irrigated fields also suffered logging equally due to the thunderstorm.
The farmers estimate a loss of about 2 quintals per acre from logging of the crop making it about Rs 4200 per acre.
When the crop falls down on the earth, the sunlight does not reach down to all the leaves and ears. Some ears are covered under the fallen crop and the grain formation in those suffers. The grains shrink and even some ears get damaged completely.
When contacted, Dr Gurmeet Singh Buttar, head of the KVK Faridkot said that the fallen crop has chances of decline in the yield, but there are many other factors which determine the yield.
“There are many factors responsible for the yield of the crop.At this stage, we can not guess anything about the yield,” he said.
He said that if the temperatures do not rise in days to come and fast winds don't blow, the yield will be good.
When contacted, chief agriculture officer Faridkot, Dr Karanjeet Singh Gill said that only less than 10 percent of the crop has suffered logging, that too in irrigated fields only.
“Even the temperatures have run down which is good for the wheat crop. However, if the water is standing in some fields, it should be drained out.The wheat crop is in good condition,” said Dr Gill.