Unseasonal rain threatens to damage rabi crops of farmers

Farmers in a number of states including Madhya Pradesh, Maharashtra and Rajasthan have suffered a setback over the past few days with spells of unseasonal rains threatening to damage crops sown in the rabi season. Other impacted states are Punjab, Haryana, Uttar Pradesh and the hilly states of Himachal Pradesh, and Jammu and Kashmir.

Rains, high velocity winds and hailstorms have hit the crop by causing water logging and physical damage. While it is early to estimate the extent of damage, experts say there will be an impact on crops including wheat, mustard, pulses, vegetables and fruits. Rabi harvest was expected to compensate the seven per cent shortfall in kharif grain output of last year, caused by a 12 per cent deficit in rains. This is also a double whammy for farmers, who had already taken a hit in the monsoon-dependent kharif season last year.

An impact is already being seen on prices of vegetables and fruits though staples like wheat and rice will remain stable due to adequate stocks from previous years' bumper crops . Experts say that 20 to 50 per cent of crop area sown in these states could be impacted, though the extent of the impact on productivity should be lower. Assessment of productivity loss will come once harvesting begins next month.

The main rabi crops are wheat, pulses, oilseeds and rice. Rabi accounts for 51 per cent of the country's grain output. Harvested in April-May period, the rabi crop caters to consumption demand till the kharif crop gets harvested in October. It is, therefore, a key determinant of food inflation for this period of the year.

The only silver lining is the huge stock of wheat and rice with the government. Food Corporation of India, the government's grain procurement and distribution agency, had 19.52 million tonnes of wheat and 15.23 million tonnes of rice in March first week.