From UP to Punjab, mechanised harvesting faces coronavirus lockdown hurdles

Chamkaur Singh, a young farmer from Nabha district of Punjab, is waiting for harvesting his wheat crops. Getting a combine harvester has never been a problem for him as Nabha is known the country’s biggest manufacturing centre for such machines. This year, however, the situation is slightly different.

A combine harvester is a key equipment for farmers in Punjab, Haryana, Madhya Pradesh, and Rajasthan as it can harvest acres of land at one go and doesn’t require much labour.

Wheat harvesting in Punjab and Haryana starts in full scale around mid-April. Singh says combine harvesters from the city have been