Ground frost blights farmers in Punjab
Potato growers in Punjab have been hit by late blight coupled with ground frost condition which has damaged 40% crop in the region.
By Madhvi Sally, TNN |
CHANDIGARH: Potato growers in Punjab have been hit by late blight coupled with ground frost condition which has damaged 40% crop in the region.
With 75,000-hectare under potato cultivation, the government is expecting 15 lakh tonnes yield this year. “The late crop has been considerably damaged in the Doaba belt (Jallandhar, Kapurthala and Hoshiarpur) by blight. Ground frost has affected the entire state,” said Dr Kulbir Singh, director, Horticulture, Punjab.
Kufri Chandermukhi variety followed by Kufri Pukhraj, Kufri Badshah were the worst hit in the Doaba belt, according to agriculture experts. Visits to the Malwa area (the southwestern districts of Bathinda, Muktsar, Faridkot and Mansa) have so far not shown much of damage from blight.
As per the fresh forecast from Chandigarh meteorological department, ground frost is likely to continue over some parts of Punjab and Haryana during next two nights.
Speaking to ET, Doaba Potato Growers Association general secretary Jaswinder Singh Sangha said the loss had affected up to 40% of the total production. A progressive farmer with 400 acre of land under potato crop in Jandu Singha Village, near Adampur, Mr Sangha claimed he was expecting yield to come down this year, even though preventive measures such as spraying of Indofil M-45 have been taken. “We are now giving Ridomil MZ or Curzate M-8 once in four days, followed by applications of Acrovit and Polygram to ensure crop protection,” he said.
Baldev Singh, Sarpanch of Kararwala village, near Rampura Phul in Bathinda district (who has sowed potato crop in 65 acres) said though the blight had to a small extent affected the crop, they were more concerned about the ground frost. “Even though we are watering the fields, we see a thin layer of snow early morning on the crop,” he said while adding that the farmers were praying for no frost to take place every night.
For farmers who had taken advance payments from outside firms it is a time of anxiety and they are looking for some compensation if the condition turned worse. “The concerned department will have to carry out girdawari of tomato, capsicum and other vegetables if the ground frost condition persist,” said a farmer from Hoshiarpur district.
With 75,000-hectare under potato cultivation, the government is expecting 15 lakh tonnes yield this year. “The late crop has been considerably damaged in the Doaba belt (Jallandhar, Kapurthala and Hoshiarpur) by blight. Ground frost has affected the entire state,” said Dr Kulbir Singh, director, Horticulture, Punjab.
Kufri Chandermukhi variety followed by Kufri Pukhraj, Kufri Badshah were the worst hit in the Doaba belt, according to agriculture experts. Visits to the Malwa area (the southwestern districts of Bathinda, Muktsar, Faridkot and Mansa) have so far not shown much of damage from blight.
As per the fresh forecast from Chandigarh meteorological department, ground frost is likely to continue over some parts of Punjab and Haryana during next two nights.
Speaking to ET, Doaba Potato Growers Association general secretary Jaswinder Singh Sangha said the loss had affected up to 40% of the total production. A progressive farmer with 400 acre of land under potato crop in Jandu Singha Village, near Adampur, Mr Sangha claimed he was expecting yield to come down this year, even though preventive measures such as spraying of Indofil M-45 have been taken. “We are now giving Ridomil MZ or Curzate M-8 once in four days, followed by applications of Acrovit and Polygram to ensure crop protection,” he said.
Baldev Singh, Sarpanch of Kararwala village, near Rampura Phul in Bathinda district (who has sowed potato crop in 65 acres) said though the blight had to a small extent affected the crop, they were more concerned about the ground frost. “Even though we are watering the fields, we see a thin layer of snow early morning on the crop,” he said while adding that the farmers were praying for no frost to take place every night.
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For farmers who had taken advance payments from outside firms it is a time of anxiety and they are looking for some compensation if the condition turned worse. “The concerned department will have to carry out girdawari of tomato, capsicum and other vegetables if the ground frost condition persist,” said a farmer from Hoshiarpur district.
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