Rewari. Heaps of mustard on the floor of the Grain Market.
Rewari. Heaps of mustard on the floor of the Grain Market.
Narendra Barrels. Rewari. The farmers suffering from rain and hailstorms hardly have a chance to get a reasonable price for the safe harvest, even in the Mandis. The quality of the crops that come out after rain and hail will be poor, so traders in the Mandis will be ready to buy these crops. Farmers are likely to be doubly affected. There is a possibility of a 30 to 50 percent reduction in crop production.
District farmers have grown mustard on approximately 76,000 hectares and wheat on 37,000 hectares. With a good harvest, the Department of Agriculture assumes an average production of 45 quintals per hectare of wheat and 23 quintals of mustard per hectare. Depending on the weather conditions, a good production of both crops was expected this time. Before the start of the wheat harvest, rain and hailstorms caused major damage to farmers’ crops. Although more than half of the farmers had harvested mustard when the hailstorm hit, the wheat harvest had only just begun.
Heavy rains in many areas and more or less hail in many areas swept away crops ready for harvest and fell to the ground. Ripe mustard seeds came out of the pods and mixed with the earth. The wheat that had come to harvest also fell, while the wheat that was about to be harvested fell to the ground. Wheat that fell on the ground cannot stand again because it is about to ripen. The grain of the wheat crop that fell into the ground cannot fully develop, as a result of which its production decreases significantly. The farmers who had harvested mustard will not do much damage to their crops from rain and hail.
The production of both can be halved
Farmers in many areas say their crops were 100 percent damaged by the hailstorm. The Department of Agriculture assumes an overall loss of 30 to 50 percent. The final damage report has yet to be prepared. In the event of an average loss of 50 percent for these crops, wheat production in the district will be limited to 16.65 thousand tons, and mustard production to about 16.48 thousand tons. Mustard production may increase slightly due to the safety of the mustard crop harvested earlier, but there is a potential for a huge reduction in wheat production.
Crop sales will be affected in Mandis
Subject to the brunt of nature, the farmers have to face the tantrums of the buyers, even if they sell them in the mandis after the harvest. Mustard seed loses its quality after rain and hail. After soaking, the amount of oil in dry mustard will decrease. It’s easy to spot by changing the color of the rash. Millers and commission agents buy such mustard cheaply. Even the grain of wheat weakens after rain and hail. Wheat is spoiled by heavy rains that find no buyers. In such a situation, farmers have to deal with problems in the mandis.
The price is expected to reach MSP
Currently, two to two and a half thousand pieces of mustard arrive at the grain market every day. This is the mustard that was harvested before the hail. HAFED has not started government procurement because the moisture content in mustard is as high as 20 percent. Mustard prices have risen by Rs 200 per quintal after hail damage. Mustard is sold up to Rs 5300 per quintal. There are chances of reaching his MSP. The MSP of wheat is Rs 2125 per quintal. Its market price is also almost the same, which is why the sourcing of wheat on MSP is expected to be higher this time.
Farmers face a double whammy
On the one hand, the farmers are threatened with losses due to rain and hail on the fields, on the other hand, they will not be able to get full prices for the rain-soaked harvests in the Mandis. There are few buyers for spoiled crops, which makes it difficult for farmers to sell such crops. Radheshyam, Head, Chamber of Commerce.
Currently, the arrival of mustard in the mandis is very low. Moist mustard comes in abundance. Rates have risen by 200 rupees per quintal given lower production after the hailstorm. After increasing the arrival there are chances that the market price will reach MSP. ,Manoj Kumar, Mandi dealer.
