Union Agriculture Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan on Sunday directed ministry officials to conduct a comprehensive assessment of crop losses following unseasonal heavy rainfall accompanied by hailstorms and strong winds over the past two days across several States. He has instructed officials to coordinate closely with State authorities to gather ground-level information and evaluate the impact on farmers.

The Agriculture Ministry, in a statement, said Chouhan has instructed officials to reach out to concerned State Governments and compile damage assessments. The minister is scheduled to hold discussions with the agriculture ministers of the affected States later in the day over the extent of crop damage. Chouhan assured farmers that the Modi Government stood with them in this hour of crisis.

Rabi crops are crops that are sown in winter and harvested in spring in India. These crops are sown between October and December and harvested in the spring months of March and April. These crops typically require cool weather for growth and are an important part of India's agricultural production, particularly in northern States.

According to a primary assessment based on the State agriculture department, the damage spans a wide range of crops, including wheat, onion, maize, jowar, bajra, pulses and vegetables, along with fruit crops such as grapes, pomegranate, mango, banana, papaya, citrus fruits and flowers.

The India Meteorological Department (IMD) warned that a fresh Western Disturbance will affect Northwest India from April 7, triggering widespread rainfall, thunderstorms and hailstorms across Jammu-Kashmir, Himachal Pradesh, Uttarakhand, Punjab, Haryana, Delhi and Uttar Pradesh through April 10. Thunderstorms gusting up to 70 kmph are likely over parts of Northwest and East India.

In line with the IMD forecast, the Agrometeorology Department has issued crop safety advisories for farmers in the affected regions, saying harvested produce should be covered with tarpaulin or moved indoors, while horticultural crops should be staked against winds.

Hailstorms - the primary driver of crop losses - are forecast over Jammu-Kashmir, Himachal Pradesh, Punjab, Haryana, Delhi and Rajasthan on April 7-8, and over East Madhya Pradesh, Vidarbha, Chhattisgarh, Madhya Maharashtra and Marathwada on Sunday. Bihar, Jharkhand and Gangetic West Bengal remain in the hailstorm zone through April 8.

Heavy rainfall warnings remain in force for Tamil Nadu, Puducherry, Karaikal, Kerala and Mahe through April 6, and for Arunachal Pradesh, Assam and Meghalaya through April 9-10. Interior Karnataka, Telangana and Rayalaseema face continued thunderstorm activity through the week.

Source - https://www.msn.com