Kapurthala, January 8
The continued accumulation of heavy frost on plants for the past three days has damaged at least 20 per cent of the potato crop, while the loss for tomato growers in the district could be as high as 50 per cent.
On a visit to Brindpur, Madho Jhanda, Kassochahal, Rampur Jagir, Talwandi Madho, Naseerewal and Rupewal villages, it was found that the leaves of potato plants had wilted.
A farmer from Brindpur village, Amrik Singh, rued that his hopes of a bumper crop had been dashed due to the frost in the region. He said he had sowed potatoes on 30 acres of land. “It seems the total yield will turn out to be less than 70 per cent,” he said.
“The unexpected spell of frost in the region will only add to the woes of already debt-ridden farmers here,” rued Malkiat Singh, another farmer, who had sowed potato crop in 200 acres of land at Naseerewal village. He added that the potato growers in the region who had cultivated their potato crops after the mid of October would suffer huge losses as the leaves of the plants had wilted.
Tomato growers in the region, too, have been affected by the frost. Surjit Singh, a farmer from Sawaal village, said his tomato crop had been badly damaged. “At least Rs 35,000 has to be spent on every acre of land for the tomato crop,” he rued.
Baldev Singh, a farmer from Naseerewal village, said that earlier, the chances of a bumper crop were bright, but now it had all been ruined. Growers of brinjals, cauliflowers and green peas also complained of losses due to the frost.
The crop of potato, which was sowed before October 15, however, remained unaffected by the frost. But in case of the potato crop cultivated in late October or later, the tuber would be affected badly. “A leaf is the main site of photosynthesis that is the main requirement for the growth of a tuber,” said Harpreet Singh, an agronomist working in Kapurthala.
A total of 9,000 hectares was under the cultivation of potato, while 500 acres of land was under the cultivation of tomato in the district, informed Mr Sawtantar Kumar Airi, Chief Agriculture Officer, Kapurthala.
“As 60 per cent of the crop was sowed before mid-October, the loss will be to the tune of 20 per cent in the total crop. There will be not more than 50 per cent loss of the crop that was sowed after October 15,” claimed Mr Airi.
“The tomato growers in the region have suffered heavy losses due to the frost. Most of the 500 acres sowed in Sultanpur Lodhi, Phagwara and Dona areas have been lost to the frost,” Dr Jagjiit Singh, Assistant Director, Horticulture, Kapurthala, said.
