After yellow rust, hailstorm adds to woes of farmers

After yellow rust, hailstorm adds to woes of farmers
Archit Watts/TNS

Khangrail (Akhnoor), March 27
The worries of the farming community in the Jammu region seem to have no end this season.Earlier, the effect of the fungal disease-yellow rust on the growing wheat crop was a cause of anguish and now the recent rainfall, speedy winds and hailstorm on March 19 have added to their worries, causing huge loss to their vegetable and wheat crop.

A large number of farmers in Domana, Purkhoo, Khangrail, Kheri, Pargwal and other nearby villages had suffered huge losses, due to the recent rainfall and hailstorms.

The worst affected crop included wheat, cauliflower, cabbage, sugarcane, spinach and coriander.

A farmer of Khangrail village, Bua Ditta, who owns 30 kanals of land, said, “More than a week has passed after the losses occurred due to hailstorm, yet no one from the Agriculture Department has come to inspect the fields or take stock of the losses”.

Bua Ditta, who had sown wheat in his 25 kanals land and vegetables in rest five kanals, added, “The insects have spread in the vegetables. We have also sprayed insecticides, but its of no use. Even the wheat crop, which was almost ready for harvesting has been damaged”.

Another farmer, Duni Chand of Domana said, “Wheat is the major crop of this region, which has been damaged by the yellow rust and recent hailstorm, but the state government has not yet announced any compensation”.