Punjab's Call for Urgent Crop Damage Assessment

Punjab Agriculture Minister Gurmeet Singh Khudian has urged the Centre to send a team to assess damage to wheat and Rabi crops due to rain and hailstorms. With significant crop loss reported, Khudian seeks immediate relief for farmers. The state is conducting its assessments and seeking central assistance.

Punjab Agriculture Minister Gurmeet Singh Khudian made an urgent appeal to the Central government on Wednesday, requesting the dispatch of a high-level team to evaluate the destruction wrought by recent rain and hailstorms on the state's Rabi crops.

Highlighting the plight of farmers burdened with severe financial losses, Khudian emphasized in a letter to Union Agriculture Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan the dire effects of inclement weather on the wheat crops in Punjab. Initial forecasts of a bumper yield have been dashed, with over 1.30 lakh acres of crops affected, and losses expected to increase.

Beyond wheat, the havoc has extended to vegetables, fodder, and other Rabi crops in districts such as Fazilka, Ferozepur, and Amritsar, presenting a significant threat to farmers' livelihoods and the agrarian economy. The Punjab government has initiated a special crop loss assessment and seeks central assistance for relief efforts.

(With inputs from agencies.)