Madhya Pradesh, Maharashtra assess effect of hailstorm on standing crop

Madhya Pradesh is among the largest wheat and chana growing states in the country

A hailstorm and unseasonal rains lashed several parts of Madhya Pradesh and Maharashtra on Sunday. But trade and government sources said an exact assessment of the damage to standing wheat, chana, grapes and cotton crops would only be available in the next few days.

In Madhya Pradesh, sources said the hailstorm hit almost 400 villages and could affect the standing wheat, chana and mustard crop. The state government is assessing the impact of the hailstorm, which many said was among the severest in the last few years.

Large tracts of farmland were covered with a thick sheet of white after the storm