Food & Beverage News: Top Stories - April showers play spoilsport in North, hit wheat harvest

Heavy rains accompanied by hailstorms is said to have inflicted extensive damage to the standing wheat crop in Punjab and adjoining states. Crops of apple and stone fruit have also been hit in Himachal Pradesh. Vegetable crop, gram and even mango orchards have been affected by the hailstorm accompanied by high velocity wind. Hailstorm hit the wheat and other rabi crops in the region for the third time during the past one week

Wheat production is certainly going to be affected. Chief agriculture officer, Punjab, said the quality of wheat as well as the yield was likely to be affected.

The wet spell has not only delayed harvesting of wheat, because it is difficult to harvest wet stems, but it has also made standing crops prone to fungal, insect and pest attacks. BKU president Balbir Singh Rajewal: "I can say with full confidence that there would be a big fall in wheat production in Punjab this year. My estimate is that farmers would suffer a loss of Rs 600 crore and the average yield per acre is unlikely to exceed 16 quintals."

While the state government has estimated wheat production to be around 150 lakh tonnes, it would be lucky if production touches 100 lakh tonnes, says Rajewal.