Sangrur: Flower growers pushed to the brink as rain, hailstorm destroy 70% cultivation

Parvesh Sharma

Sangrur, April 4

After suffering over 70 per cent losses due to untimely rain and hailstorm, many flower growers in the region are contemplating to return to wheat-paddy cycle. The farmers who took land on annual lease are the worst affected.

Order special assessment

Flowers were ready to be plucked, but rain has damaged more than 70 per cent plants. The state government should order assessment of loss suffered by flower growers if it is serious about crop diversification. Else, majority of flower growers will go back to paddy-wheat cycle. Gurdeep Singh, flower grower

Gurdeep Singh, a flower grower from Niamtpur village of Malerkotla, said, “Flowers were ready to be plucked, but rain has damaged more than 70 per cent plants. At some places the loss is 100 per cent. The state government should order special assessment for flower growers if it is serious about crop diversification. Else, majority of flower growers will go back to paddy-wheat cycle.”

Flower growers said their per acre cost stood at around Rs 60,000, including labour, and other expenses.

They said they had received Rs 14,000 per acre subsidy for the first time from the state government, but frequent spells of rain and has caused them heavy losses.

At Gidriani village in Sangrur district, farmers who had taken land on lease said their input costs were higher. Apart from spending on labour, we also paid Rs 65,000 per acre annual lease, said the aggrieved farmers.

Hardeep Singh of Gidriani said, “I have suffered 100 per cent loss. Hailstorm damaged my entire crop. We heard that some officers from the Horticulture Department will visit our fields to assess the damage. The government should provide compensation at the earliest.”

Sarpanch of Gidriani village Harjinder Singh said that in his village around 150 acres are under flowers and many growers have suffered huge losses.

Farmers said flowering plants can’t withstand quick variation in temperature. They said rise in mercury at this of the year in 2022 damaged their plants.

Hardeep Singh, Assistant Director, Horticulture Department, said, “Hailstorm and rain has caused huge damage to flowers in various parts of Sangrur and Malerkotla districts. We are preparing a detailed report and will forward it to the government.”