The rabi crops in Himachal Pradesh have suffered severe damage as a result of the protracted dry weather, with the Hamirpur district of the hill state suffering the largest loss of Rs 2,857.78 lakh, according to officials on Thursday. Out of 4,01,853 hectares, crops on 85,538.20 hectares of land have been destroyed by insufficient/inadequate rains, according to the report of field officers from all around the state.
Up to 33% of Rabi crops have been damaged in the five districts of Bilaspur, Hamirpur, Mandi, Shimla, and Sirmaur. According to a spokesman for the Agricultural department, the overall loss to the crop has been assessed at Rs 9,462 lakh in ten out of the state’s 12 districts, excluding the tribal regions of Kinnaur and Lahaul, and Spiti. According to the spokeswoman, the crop damage was less than 33 percent in the remaining five districts.
The weather has been particularly harsh in rain-fed areas. According to him, the lack of rain has had an impact on the harvests of wheat, barley, and peas. Rajesh Kaushik, state agriculture director, noted that the areas most impacted are those where farmers were totally reliant on rainfall for irrigation.
He recommended farmers take good care of their crops and speak with agricultural specialists on the best course of action to take to prevent complete crop damage. From January 1 to February 28 and from March 1 to March 8, respectively, the state experienced an overall rain deficit of roughly 36% and 84 %, while the deficit reached about 100 % in December 2022.
