GUJAR KHAN: The untimely wet spell is poised to damage the wheat crop which is ready for harvesting in the Potohar region.

This year, the crop was quite bumper and the farmers were expecting a good yield. However, with the frequent rains they are now preoccupied with the fear that the crop would be spoiled.

During a visit to a number of remote villages, this reporter noticed rainwater standing in the low-lying fields and the wheat crop facing water logging. In the areas around Dhoke Budhall in the west of the Gujar Khan tehsil, hailstorm has also destroyed the standing wheat.

Chaudhry Abrar Rasheed, a prominent farmer of the Jatli village, said if there were more rains the prospects for reaping a good crop would be very slim. He said rain at this stage would also damage the quality of grains as under damp conditions it would be vulnerable to fungal diseases.

Raja Bostan of Negail said the wet spell was preventing him from harvesting the ripe crop while it was impossible to use machines to expedite the process which was needed under the unpredictable weather conditions.

Nusrat Hussain, a farmer in the Lallial village near the Sukhu town, pointed out that in a number of fields the wheat crop remained submerged under the stagnant rainwater.

Published in Dawn, April 21st, 2015

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