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Punjab | Downpour raises moisture level in paddy, disturbs harvest schedule
Moisture level has gone up to 50%, against acceptable limit of 17%, raises fresh concerns about spike in stubble burning due to shrinking window between kharif harvest and rabi sowing; the Met has predicted a long sunny spell from Wednesday which would support fast maturing and drying up of the crop.
The moisture levels in ready-to-cut paddy crop in Punjab went up to 50% following Tuesday’s downpour, further pushing the harvest and procurement schedule. Due to this, wheat sowing may also be postponed.
The fresh spell has also raised concerns about a spike in stubble burning cases in the state which is already struggling to contain the menace.
The permissible moisture limit for procuring paddy is 17%.
Rainfall was witnessed in Ropar, Mohali, Fatehgarh Sahib, Patiala, Sangrur, Barnala, Nawanshahr, Jalandhar and Hoshiarpur. As per data from the state meteorology department, 3mm to 66 mm rainfall was witnessed during the day, which was a brief climatic phenomenon owing to easterly disturbances that have hit the country.
The Met has predicted a long sunny spell from Wednesday which would support fast maturing and drying up of the crop.
No crop loss, only schedule disturbed: Experts
“There is no loss to the crop as such, but it has disturbed the cropping schedule,” said director agriculture Gurvinder Singh, adding that the delay in harvest would affect rabi sowing and may also impact kharif cultivation after that.
This season paddy was sown over 75.5 lakh acres and so far, 18 to 20 lakh acres have been harvested. In comparison to this, last season about half of the paddy was harvested by this time.
With the paddy harvest being delayed, the window before rabi (wheat) sowing has also shrunk, which may make farmers jittery and prompt them to burn paddy residue for speedy clearing of fields.
Punjab Agricultural University vice-chancellor Satbir Singh Gosal, however, said that the number of farm fires may go down as it is practically difficult to burn wet straw. He accepted that the entire cropping schedule has been impacted due to the fresh rain spell.
According to him, “There is no reason to worry about wheat sowing as there is still ample time. The sowing (of wheat) goes up to November 25 and can be extended to early December. Paddy harvest should be over by October 25.”
Procurement more than previous year
Against total procurement of 10.8 lakh tonnes last year as on October 11, this year it has touched 12.5 lakh tonnes till Tuesday. “Owing to unpredictable weather conditions, farmers are immediately unloading their crop in the mandis,” said a food and civil supplies department official.
He adds that the procurement has been higher but it has been slowed down due to rain. As per department figures, on a single day today 1.97 lakh tonnes paddy was procured and so far, Rs. 1,324.66 crore has been paid to farmers.
