Yamunanagar: Bad weather may down yield by 5 quintal/acre

Tribune News Service

Shiv Kumar Sharma

Yamunanagar, April 19

Wheat yield is expected to go down to 15-16 quintals per acre in the ongoing rabi crop season (2021-22) in Yamunanagar district, shattering the dreams of wheat growers of a good crop.

In crop season 2020-21, the yield of wheat, as per the record of Agriculture and Farmers Welfare Department, Yamunanagar, had been recorded at 20.40 quintals per acre.

“As per the feedback coming from the field through farmers and our department’s field staff, the yield is expected to remain between 15 and 16 quintals per acre during the current crop season,” said Dr Jasvinder Singh Saini, Deputy Director, Agriculture and Farmers Welfare Department, Yamunanagar.

The main reasons behind the reduction in yield are unseasonal rain in January and February and the early onset of summer.

The record of Agriculture Department reveals that Yamunanagar district received 169.43 mm rain in January and 47 mm rain in February.

However, it recorded only 15.71 mm in January 2021 and 8.29 mm in February 2021.

Sources said that the arrival of wheat had also reduced in grain markets of Yamunanagar district due to low yield and other reasons.

According to the information available, 1,85,377 MT of wheat had been purchased in this district last year till April 18, 2021. However, till April 18, 2022, only 1,40,855 MT of wheat has been procured – 44,522 MT (24 per cent) less than last year’s procurement till date.

According to the agriculture scientists, as a result of continuous rainfall in January and February, pollen got washed out in a number of wheat fields and ear heads were not fully filled with grains due to poor pollination. Besides, the rain damaged wheat plants also.

Meanwhile, the grain size remained small due to early onset of summer.

Farmers said that the yield had gone down substantially in the fields of many farmers.

Gurmej Singh, a farmer of Kapoori village, said that farmers had been ruined by the unseasonal rain in January and February and early summer.

Feedback from field

As per the feedback coming from the field through farmers and our department’s field staff, the yield is expected to remain between 15 and 16 quintals per acre during the current crop season. Dr Jasvinder Singh Saini, Dy Director, Agriculture and Farmers Welfare Dept, Yamunanagar

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