Erratic rain, cloudy weather for over a month damage half of potato crop in Punjab

Punjab Agricultural University inundated with queries from people during its weekly online expert-farmer interaction amid rising concerns

The production of potato in Punjab is likely to come down by half this time as the crop has suffered significant damage due to an erratic rainfall and cloudy weather for over the past one month.

Potato crop damaged due to rain and cloudy weather near a village in Punjab’s Ludhiana district.

Amid rising concerns, Punjab Agricultural University (PAU), Ludhiana, was on Thursday inundated with queries from people during its weekly online expert-farmer interaction.

PAU director research Dr Ajmer Singh Dhatt said, “The late blight (a potentially devastating disease that infects leaves, stems and potato tubers) has further compounded the problem. The late blight infestation in the tuber also decreases storage or shelf life of potato.”

The potato crop is grown on 1.4 lakh lakh hectares, mainly in Jalandhar, Hoshiarpur, Kapurthala, Ludhiana, Amritsar, Bathinda and Fatehgarh Sahib districts.

Dr Dhatt added, “Normally the crop is harvested in January and February, but the fields are still wet as the state has been witnessing heavy rainfall and cloud cover recently. Due to this, the potato is turning green in colour. While the crop in light soil may still sustain, the potato sown on heavy soil will have a major problem.”

Hardeep Singh, a farmer from Jagraon, said his crop sown 70 days back was hit by heavy rain and hailstorm. “Its shoots have started growing again. I have sown the crop on 5 acres and invested all my savings on it. I am not sure whether the government will offer me compensation,” he added.

Santokh Singh Khaira, a leading seed potato grower in the region who hails from Malsian village in Jalandhar’s Shahkot sub-division, said there will be an acute shortage of potato this year.

“Punjab is the biggest supplier of seed potato among all the states. Due to the incessant rainfall, the seed potato crop suffered massive damage. The paucity of potato seed will impact the sowing and production of the crop across the country and will result in a shortfall of potato for the rest of the year,” he said.

A hot poll issue in villages

Potato has become a hot political issue in some rural areas among the parties contesting the assembly elections. Some candidates are even visiting the fields to highlight the issue besides assuring the worried farmers of an immediate release of compensation if their party comes to power.

Manpreet Singh Ayali, the Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) MLA and candidate from Dakha, raised the issue. “The government should not waste time ordering a girdawari to assess the loss to offer timely relief to the potato growers. No attention is being given to compensate the farmers whose potato crop was damaged. Same was the fate of cotton growers who did not receive compensation despite announcements by chief minister Charanjit Singh Channi,” said Ayali.