Amid reports that pigeon-pea or tur is the worst weather-hit crop this rabi season, the output for the season is likely to be revised downwards as 80-90 per cent damage has happened in the case of gram (chana) in some pockets like Malwa belt.
The state government did not make any arrangements for the farmers to protect their other bumper crop this year from the recent odd weather. Mercury in almost all parts of the state touched freezing point damaging cells of those plants which have low sulphur contents.
State government has sent teams to various parts to estimate the crop damage. “Those plants which have low sulphur are badly damaged. For example, tur is blooming in Mandsaur, Neemuch and Ratlam but it might have been badly hit in Narsinghpur, Raisen, Gadarwara, Pipariya and Hoshangabad belt. These areas sow tur little late and is at flowering stage, increasing chances of damaging the crop completely,” N S Sipani, an agri-research firm promoter, who is working on developing high-yield varieties of tur said.
Farmers told Business Standard that tur has been badly damaged in almost all districts of these areas. “Gram has been severely damaged in these fields where podding has started. I have less hope for my tur crop,” said Mukund Parashar, a farmer from Bareilly.
Barring wheat almost all fruits, vegetables and other rabi crops have been damaged from nealy 20-80 per cent. Government authorities were not available for comment. “We are still estimating the damage and it would take atleast a month to complete the assessment,” said a government official in the agriculture department. The state grows high protein and palatable varieties of tur in more than 350,000 hectares. Last year, the production was 208,000 tonnes.
