Bathinda, October 2
Heavy rain in the region has taken a toll on thousands of tonnes of paddy lying in the grain markets of Malwa, besides hitting the standing paddy crop.

Due to this, government agencies have stopped paddy procurement, while farmers are making efforts to save their produce. The rain has also hit the harvesting in fields and about 15,000 metric tonne of paddy crop has been affected in Bathinda only.

Sources said there was no hope of paddy procurement by the government agencies for the next two days. The sudden rain has also left farmers of the neighbouring districts, like Muktsar and Faridkot, worried, as combines engaged in harvesting have come to a grinding halt.

According to information about 1.52 lakh metric tonne of paddy has been procured in Bathinda. District market official Bogh Singh said paddy could not be procured in wet weather. Farmers at the local grain market were upset in the afternoon when the rain picked up momentum.

Those who had got plastic covers saved their paddy stock from getting wet, while others could do nothing but watch helplessly.

In Muktsar, 48,000 metric tonne paddy crop was hit due to rain, while Ferozepore was the worst hit with 1.1lakh metric tonne paddy crop getting affected.

In Faridkot also, 13,000 tonne paddy crop was affected. Farmers, whose paddy yield has got wet, are likely to face problems in getting their stock procured.

About 28,000 tonne paddy is arriving in Bathinda daily, while the paddy procurement is yet to start at procurement centres of Such, Jaisinghwala, and Madi villages. These procurement centres have received thousands of tonnes of paddy yield and farmers are awaiting procurement.