Rain damages cotton crop on 4,000 hectares in Muktsar

Tribune News Service

Archit Watts

Muktsar, May 25

The cotton growers have suffered a serious blow as the recent rains have damaged the freshly sown crop in nearly 4,000 hectares of the district. The rain has created a hard crust of soil over the crop, thereby affecting the germination of seeds.

Hard crust of soil to blame

• The rain has created a hard crust of soil over the crop, affecting the germination of seeds
• It takes Rs 8,000/hectare to break the soil’s crust and re-sow the crop

It takes nearly Rs 8,000 to break the soil’s crust and re-sow the crop in one hectare.

As of now, the crop is sown in nearly 19,000 hectares as compared to 33,000 hectares last year in the district. The rain accompanied by high-velocity winds and hailstorm in the past 10 days has caused serious damage to the crop.

According to reports, saplings were submerged in the water in various places.

Meanwhile, some farmers claimed that the maize crop, which was sown to be used as fodder, was also damaged in the rain. “The hailstorm has flattened the crop,” said some farmers.

Gurpreet Singh, Chief Agriculture Officer, Muktsar, said, “Some people have re-sown the crop and we are expecting a total of 20,000 hectares to be brought under cotton cultivation this season.” He further said the paddy crop sown with Direct Sowing of Rice (DSR) technique has also suffered damage.

Meanwhile, sources in the Agriculture Department said that the situation was similar in Bathinda and Mansa districts. “Fazilka district has performed better in cotton sowing in the state,” they said.

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