Incessant rain in Punjab and Haryana could cause damage to kharif crops and dips in their yield, farm experts said Monday. With the rains set to delay paddy harvesting for a few days, farm experts are also apprehending that there will be only a short window to manage the crop residue, before sowing wheat.

A few parts of the northern region, including Punjab have been witnessing widespread rains for the last two days. According to the weatherman, rainfall activity will start receding tomorrow. Though Punjab and Haryana are in the process of assessing damage to kharif crops, farm experts anticipate a dip in yield due to continuous rains. “Paddy grown in low-lying areas is vulnerable to damage due to rains as it usually gets submerged in water,” Director at Punjab Agriculture Department JS Bains said.

According to farmers, paddy, which is at maturing stage, has got flattened at several areas because of rains. “We have asked district agriculture officers to assess the damage caused by rains,” Bains said. Punjab fears a 1-2 per cent impact on the paddy yield if inclement weather conditions continue. The state has set a target of 200 lakh metric tonne of paddy output this season from 30 lakh hectares of area under sowing.

Bains further said rains at this stage will lead to a delay in harvesting as the moisture level in the crop will increase and farmers may face problems in the crop procurement process.

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