Sudden dip in temperature and increase in moisture have become the cause of worryThe second spell of untimely rains within a fortnight has jeopardised the Rabi crops in Saurashtra. Most of the crops such as cumin, wheat and mango have been affected by the winter rains accompanied by high velocity winds.Parts of Saurashtra including Rajkot, Junagadh and Jamnagar districts received light to moderate rains on Monday night. The change in the atmosphere was sudden and it rained more bad news for the crops.“The rains are unexpected and damaging for the Rabi crops,” said B K Kikani, Vice-Chancellor, Junagadh Agriculture University. According to an estimate by the Bharatiya Kisan Sangh, there has been 30 per cent damage to cumin and wheat crops. “There have been widespread reports of heavy damage to cumin and wheat crops from Jamnagar, Surendranagar, Bhavnagar, Amreli and Rajkot districts. Damage could be as much as 30 per cent” said Bhagwan Patel, a Bharatiya Kisan Sangh member from Rajkot. The state Agriculture department office in Rajkot, which looks after the four districts of Rajkot, Jamnagar, Surendranagar, and Bhuj, expressed the possibility of damage but said the department is yet to get the details. According to preliminary reports available with the Agriculture department, cumin and wheat in Surendranagar district; wheat and pulses in Rajkot district; wheat and sugarcane in Junagadh district; and wheat and cumin in both Jamnagar and Bhavnagar districts, have been damaged. Kesar mangoes from Talala have also been damaged as per the reports. “Mangoes are at the flowering stage. Wind and moisture have damaged the flowers,” said Sardarsinh Jadeja of Talala Marketing Yard.The sudden dip in temperature with increase in moisture has further worried farmers. A possibility of pest attack cannot be ruled out. “There has been no sunlight for four days now. The moisture has only increased the possibility of a pest attack. The atmosphere is not at all favourable for the growth of crops,” said a farmer.
