Surge in retreating rains may hit harvest for UP, Haryana farmers

On September 25, according to the IMD, western Uttar Pradesh received around 29.7 mm of rain, 889 per cent more than the normal for the day

The sudden surge in the retreating southwest monsoon, causing extensive showers in most of North India over the past few days, could delay the harvest of paddy, bajra, and jowar in Uttar Pradesh and Haryana, apart from causing yield losses.

It could damage vegetables sown late in the season in UP, traders and farmer groups said.

Also impacted are crops such as sugarcane, largely in parts of UP, where rain has been extensive for the past few days.

But late rain could be a boon for early Rabi crops such as mustard and wheat owing to soil moisture going up and high remunerative prices are also expected to play a positive role in farmers’ decision to sow them.

Meanwhile, in several places an assessment of the rain damage will be done only after the water recedes. In Haryana, the state government has said there will be a special survey to assess the damage to paddy crops in the next few days.

“In Haryana, at this time only the PUSA 1509 rice variety is ready for harvest. If you keep paddy soaked in water at this late stage for 24-36 hours, it starts germination and discoloration, leading to yield loss,” said Vijay, former president of the All India Rice Exporters Association.

He said in such a situation as against 65-67 per cent rice from a quintal of paddy, the yield went down to 60-62 per cent.

Farmers in several mandis of Haryana have been protesting for the past few days, demanding that the government should start procurement immediately because it is difficult for them to hold on to crops due to high moisture.

On September 25, according to the India Meteorological Department (IMD), western Uttar Pradesh received around 29.7 mm of rain, 889 per cent more than the normal for the day.

In the districts of Meerut, Bareilly, Bijnore, Etah, Jyotibaphule Nagar etc. rain on September 25 was 500-1,000 per cent more than the normal for the day.

Similarly, in Haryana, Chandigarh and Delhi, around 41 mm of rain was received on September 25, which was 2,832 per cent more than the normal for the day.

Punjab received around 59.3 mm of rainfall on September 25. That was 1,753 per cent more than the normal for the day.

Similarly, in the hills too, rain has been heavy and extensive since the past few days.

The showers of the past week and 10 days have narrowed the cumulative shortfall (from June 1 to September 25) in states like UP to 28 per cent less than the normal. That till a few weeks back was over 40 per cent. 

In Haryana, the cumulative seasonal rainfall is now 9 per cent above normal while in Punjab the shortfall is just around 6 per cent below normal.

“In West UP such a heavy spell of rain in a very short span of time has submerged paddy and sugarcane. This might impact their productivity. Also, in the case of jowar and bajra, the sudden bout of rain can lead to germination in seeds and their discoloration,” said Rahul Chauhan, commodity analyst at iGrain India.

Dharmendra Malik of the Bhartiya Kisan Union (BKU) said farmers in UP had spent extra this year to grow paddy because rain was virtually nil in the main growing months of June and July. On top of this if yields go down it would be mean a huge financial burden for them.

“In the case of onions, the late kharif crop is impacted in several places, which might delay its harvest but because India has good stocks. Prices will remain in check till at least November, after which there could be some appreciation,” said Sriram Gadve, president of the Vegetable Growers’ Association of India.

In Madhya Pradesh, the standing soybean crop, which is reeling from the impact of exces rain, could come under further stress if there is more precipitation.

“The monsoon has been excess in Madhya Pradesh and if it rains anymore now till September then the standing soybean crop could start getting impacted,” said Bhagwan Meena, founder member of the Kisan Swaraj Sangthan, a farmer group.

The good news is in most parts of North India rain will lessen.

“The monsoon trough will now move from west UP towards eastern parts of the states, leading to gradual reduction in monsoon activity,” said Mahesh Palawat, vice-president (meteorology and climate change), Skymet.