SWABI: Torrential rain damaged standing maize crops here on Thursday.

The downpour coupled with thunderstorms lashed the district in earlyhours of the day, according to farmers. They told Dawn that the damage to standing crops meant a low maize yield, so they would suffer huge losses.

The growers said they’re already struggling to deal with high inflation, which had driven pesticide and fertiliser rates and labour costs up significantly.

Taj Khan of Maneri Bala village said heavy downpour destroyed his maize plants shattering his hopes of a good crop.

Provincial general secretary of the growers’body Anjuman-i-Kashthkaran Alam Sher Gohati said the government should compensate farmers forthe loss caused by the natural calamity.

He said landlords could put up with such a loss but the small-time farmers already badly hit by record inflation would suffer a lot after the damage to their standing crops.

Prolonged power outages were reported in many areas during and after the downpour.

Published in Dawn, August 25th, 2023