MULTAN City News

Hailstorms damage crops on 23,000 acres in Multan dist

From Nadeem Shah

MULTAN: Recent rains and hailstorms have damaged crops on more than 23,000 acres in 47 villages of Multan district, said Agriculture Department sources.

Of 23,000 acres wheat crop was sown on about 14,225 acres which was also destroyed by the hailstorms, the sources added. They said that the crop was completely damaged on 50 per cent of area in the villages. The sources apprehended that the wheat harvesting might be delayed due to rains and hailstorms in the current month. They said that average wheat yield was 37 maund in Sahiwal division, 36 maund Multan division, 31 maund in Dera Ghazi Khan division and 35 maund in Bahawalpur division.

The wheat growers said that the rains and hailstorms had crushed hopes of thousands of farmers whose wheat crop was destroyed. They said that they were struggling to feed their families. The farmers demanded the government provide them compensation and write off their agriculture loans and water tax. The farmers said that four wheat growing villages were badly affected by the hailstorms. He said that the crop was fully destroyed in Qairpur Rawan Garbi while 1,539 acres of wheat crop were damaged at Kirpalpur. Damages were also reported from Akramabad where crop over 1,159 acres was destroyed while the wheat crop destroyed on 865 acres in Khagaywala village, the farmers added.

A small farmer, Ghulam Qadir, said that the government should declare the affected villages in the district as calamity-hit areas.

Another farmer, Rahim of Bosan Road, said: “The recent hailstorms have not only ruined our wheat crop, but also destroyed all vegetables, including okra, bitter gourd, pumpkin and zucchini, we planted during the winter.” He said that fodder on more than 3,444 acres was also destroyed in 41 villages due to the hailstorms. He said that the farmers were searching fodder for animals in the villages. He said: “The season for planting certain foods has now passed. For example, we cannot plant watermelon in the summer.”

The farmers said that the climate changes were playing havoc with the crops as both summer and winter were intense. They said that average per acre wheat yield had been stagnant at 30 maund for the last some years while wheat cultivation area was reducing gradually to promote pulses and vegetables.