Stubble trouble: Now, farmers in Haryana bear the brunt as smog delays wheat sowing

Due to inadequate sunshine, farmers waiting for fields to get dry as they have high-moisture content; first two weeks of November considered ideal for sowing.

Stubble burning has turned out to be a trouble for farmers this time as well with dense smog caused by fires has delayed the sowing of wheat crop by a fortnight in several districts of the state.

Vehicles plying on the Rohtak-Delhi road amid dense fog. Farmers say the delay in sowing may bring down the per acre yield of wheat by 4-5 quintals. (HT File)

Due to inadequate sunshine, worried farmers are waiting to their fields to get dried as they have high moisture content due to fog, so that they could start wheat sowing soon. The first two weeks of November are considered ideal for this.

“Weather is not suitable for wheat sowing as of now. We are waiting for our fields to dry for the past three weeks. It will take at least one more week as there was not sunshine for the past couple of days. Besides, there is also prediction of rain in the next few days,” said Sunil Kumar, a farmer from Karnal.

“We do not know the reason behind the delay, but there is too much moisture in the fields which need to be dry for tilling,” said Parveen Kumar, another farmer.

However, the farmers are not ready to acknowledge that burning of paddy residue cause the early fog. They said blaming crop burning for pollution is wrong and the government should also take action against the industries that pollute the air throughout the year.

The farmers said the delay in sowing may bring down the per acre yield by 4-5 quintals.