Photos: Harvest activity resumes under relaxations in lockdown

The harvest and procurement of the rabi crops usually begin by end of March, countrywide. However, in the light of the nationwide lockdown due to coronavirus outbreak this process has been delayed by almost a month in 2020. Harvesting has finally begun in various states in the country under social distancing norms but continues to be marred by a lack of labour, transportation limitations as well as health and safety concerns of the individuals that are part of the trade. ...read more

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A farm worker harvests wheat crop in a field, on the outskirts of Jalandhar. Wheat harvest in Punjab and Haryana mark the launch of one of the first major economic activities in the period after the 21-day nationwide lockdown due to the coronavirus. (Pardeep Pandit / HT Photo)

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A worker collects grains that were damaged due to heavy rainfall, at New Grain Market, Sector 39, in Chandigarh. A predominantly agrarian state, farmers in Punjab witnessed a period of anxiety as rain and hailstorms added to standing time of the wheat ripened crop. (PTI)

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A farmer harvests wheat crop using a combine harvester at Naubatpur area in Patna. The lockdown saw all agricultural work come to a standstill, delaying crucial weeks of activity. (Parwaz Khan / HT Photo)

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Farm workers harvest wheat crop while wearing face masks and observing social distance as a precautionary measure against coronavirus, near Najafgarh in New Delhi. (Vipin Kumar / HT Photo)

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A worker carries a sack containing rice grain to store at a Food Corporation of India (FCI) warehouse in Jammu. Though a large portion of the harvesting process is mechanised, the packing and transportation of wheat involves manual labour. (Nitin Kanotra / HT Photo)

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A goods truck driver undergoes thermal screening at the entry point to the grain market, in Sector 39, Chandigarh. Masks and screenings measures are now mandatory for labourers, traders and local customers frequenting grain markets during the harvest season. (Ravi Kumar / HT Photo)

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A boat loaded with wheat grain stands parked near the banks of the river Ganga, in Patna. The lockdown also affected the transport and supply of agricultural goods and items needed in ancillary fields due to confusion regrading movement restrictions. (PTI)

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A worker packs wheat with the help of a canister at a market in Naubatpur area of Patna during the lockdown. (Parwaz Khan / HT Photo)

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A worker separates rice husk from grain, in Amritsar. Late harvests mean lower yields, reduced returns, and a smaller window to plant next season’s crops, as well as leaving crops vulnerable to rain and hailstorms. (Sameer Sehgal / HT Photo)