STATE TIMES NEWS
Kathua: After a gap of one-week the weather with sunny days and high temperature suddenly changed mood on Monday resulting with rain showers in the plain areas of the district. The unexpected rains are no way in favour of farmers as presently some farmers are harvesting the wheat crop.
Expressing his views Karan Singh, a local farmer said that the weather is against the farmers. The prevailing bad weather has not only hampered the process of its harvesting of wheat crop and its procurement but rains had caused a heavy damage to the standing crop. “Now, again as the farmers were trying their hard to secure the crop the weather had changed his mood”, he added.
Farmer Devinder Singh from Chambey Da Bagh said that as it is matter of collecting fruit after hard labour, the farmers of the area are quite worried and tense as far as dilemma of bad bather and harvesting process concerns.
Another farmer Nariender Singh said keeping in view, the past seasons of wheat crop farmers are trying to collect the crop as fast as possible. Some farmers despite using the traditional methods are attaining modern techniques like combine harvesting.
Though the farmers face loss by using the process, still prefer harvesting machines, keeping in view the heavy losses due to bad weather.
Expressing his views, farmer Ramesh Andotra said weather is against the farmers. Despite crops are ready in the fields they are not in situation to harvest them. Moreover, some farmers had started the traditional harvesting process but they are in between. The reason being some crop is standing whereas some harvested. Unless and until the harvesting completes then only farmers can follow threshing.
Another farmer Ramneek Singh said that he started harvesting on Vaisakhi i.e. 13th April, keeping in view the possibilities of rain in coming days.
Moreover, instead of using the modern technique of harvesting with the help of combine, we could not restore the crop safely. He said no purchase agency would risk purchasing wheat with moisture content of more than the specified limit of 12 per cent.
He added that rains are badly affecting the crops standing in the field adding that it seems to be no immediate relief from the rough weather as per reports.