Coronavirus outbreak may cast a shadow over wheat harvesting, procurement

Farmers in Punjab fear that the coronavirus outbreak may cast a shadow over the upcoming harvesting and procurement of wheat crop next month.

With the state authorities imposing restrictions like curfew to check spread of coronavirus, the growers expressed fear that if the current situation prolongs, it will have an adverse impact on harvesting and procurement of winter crop.

Potato growers are already facing difficulty in getting labour for harvesting the tuber because of restrictions imposed in the state, they said.

Sukhdev Singh Kokri, general secretary of Bhartiya Kisan Union (BKU) (Ugrahan) said, "How will farmers harvest their crop and go to mandis to sell it if the restrictions continue to remain in place? This is a big question before every farmer now."