Heavy rains in Haryana may clip wheat output

Heavy and untimely rain over the past two days has damaged crops in the country's wheat bowl in Haryana.

Coupled with high wind, heavy rains in the past two days have disrupted normal life in states such as Punjab, Haryana, Uttar Pradesh, Madhya Pradesh and Himachal Pradesh.

According to reports, rain will probably continue for another 24 hours and then drop in intensity, before picking up again at the weekend.

"The incessant rain has caused water logging in our field. The wheat crop was still growing but strong winds have destroyed the crop," said a farmer in Rohtak, Kishan Kumar.

The most vulnerable wheat was the variety planted in the first week of November and is now ready for harvest.

"There has been a lot of damage due to the rain; all our crop has been reduced to nothing. Everything has been destroyed," said farmer, Paan Singh.

Many farmers thought this year would yield good crop but their hopes have been trumped by the untimely rain and strong winds.

"We had hoped for a good wheat crop this year but we have been left with nothing," said a farmer in India's northern Varanasi city, Ram Sevak.

Government scientists and farm ministry officials would reportedly inspect fields in the next few days to estimate the damage.