Commodity Online
CHANDIGARH : Unseasonal rains in Punjab causing widespread damage to its wheat crop has forced it to cut down its estimates of wheat output by five lakh metric tonne to 150 lakh MT during this season.

According to Punjab Agriculture Department, wheat production in the state will even cross 150 lakh MT marks because of heavy damage inflicted by rains and hailstorm.



Punjab had earlier estimated wheat production at 155 lakh MT for this Rabi marketing season against last year's output of 157.20 lakh MT.

Besides, the total crop arrival during this Rabi marketing season is also expected to be lower at 100 lakh MT against the last year's arrival of 105 lakh MT, a development that could also affect the centre's procurement target from the state, wheat experts said.

Unexpected rains during the past one week have hit the wheat crop badly across several parts of the region.

According to the department, the wheat crop sown over an area of 23,400 hectares in the state has been adversely affected due to rains and hailstorm.

Wheat crop has been affected in Ludhiana, Ferozepur, Fatehgarh Sahib, Jalandhar, Mansa, Amritsar, Sangrur, Tarantarn and Gurdaspur.

As per initial reports, rains have caused damage in the range of 50 to 75 per cent to wheat crop cultivated on 5,400 hectares and 75 to 100 per cent damage on 2,500 hectares while rest of the total area faced less than 50 per cent damage.

Because of the rains playing spoilsport, the arrival of wheat during the current wheat lifting season would also shrink as a result of which, the target of 115 lakh MT of wheat procurement from Punjab may not be achieved, as per wheat experts.

The Centre during the ongoing rabi marketing season is expecting to procure 115 lakh MT of wheat from Punjab.

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