Crop-cutting experiments in Punjab show fall in paddy yield by around 8 quintals/ha

“Rains came at every critical stage — during flowering, at grain filling and then again during harvesting. High temperatures in late September worsened the damage,” Punjab Agriculture Department Director Jaswant Singh said.

In Patiala and Fatehgarh Sahib, dwarfing reportedly affected around 11,000 acres and resulted in 30 to 40 per cent crop loss in several villages of many other districts.

Singh said, “Harvesting in the Majha and Doaba regions has almost been completed, while 70 per cent of the crops have been harvested in most of the districts of the Malwa region.”

Procurement surpasses previous years

Despite lower yields, harvesting is fast, leading to stronger arrivals than expected in Punjab’s mandis.

According to the Department of Food, Civil Supplies and Consumer Affairs, the state has recorded the arrival of 131.48 LMT of paddy till November 3, with 4.35 LMT arriving on Monday alone.

As of November 3, figures mark a significant rebound from last year’s arrivals of 96.19 LMT and 117.03 LMT in 2023 by corresponding dates. “Current arrivals are 36.68 per cent higher than 2024 and 12.34 per cent more than 2023,” an official said.

Notably, out of the total 131.48 LMT paddy, 128.29 LMT has already been procured — 128.14 LMT by government agencies and 14,840 tonnes by private traders.

Among procurement agencies, PUNGRAIN has procured the most at 42.17 per cent, followed by MARKFED (25.50 per cent), PUNSUP (20.64 per cent), and the Food Corporation of India (0.28 per cent). Private traders accounted for 0.12 per cent of the total procurement.

Districts such as Patiala (10.61 LMT), Sangrur (10.56 LMT), Ludhiana (10.52 LMT), Bathinda (9.84 LMT), Firozpur (9.40 LMT) and Tarn Taran (9.02 LMT) have reported the highest arrivals.

Progressive lifting of procured stocks has reached 108.84 LMT, with 4.57 LMT lifted in a single day. Around 94.8 per cent of the grain has been lifted within 72 hours of procurement.

According to officials, unseasonal rainfall in October delayed harvesting, but it picked up by the month-end.

The payment has also been made on time, with officials claiming that all dues have been credited directly into farmers’ accounts.

Revised target

The state government initially set a target of 185 LMT for paddy procurement this season, but revised it to 150 LMT due to lower yield estimates from CCEs, officials said.

“Yields have definitely come down this year, especially in areas hit by dwarfing and false smut, but procurement has remained steady and smooth,” a senior official said.

Congress MLA Pargat Singh, who visited Jalandhar Green Market on Monday, said, “Punjab farmers are facing unprecedented losses this season, yet the government failed to ensure fair procurement or timely compensation for those whose crops were destroyed by floods.”