Rain relief for paddy growers, trouble for maize farmers

While abundant rainfall has come as a relief to paddy cultivators here, it has spelt trouble for maize growers as the crop is highly sensitive to moisture content at the harvesting stage.

“Paddy needs standing water and rain is a blessing,” said Gurmeet Singh, a farmer of a village in Ludhiana district.

“We’re saving on electricity too as the use of tubewells to draw groundwater has reduced,” he said.

However, the story is different for maize farmers, many of whom are grappling with losses. The crop, now at its harvesting stage, has been exposed to rain, leading to excess moisture content and reduced market value.

“We had harvested our maize, but it got wet and we can’t dry it because it rains almost daily,” said Baldev Singh, a farmer from Kaunke Kalan village.

“The price in the market has dropped from ₹2,200 to ₹1,200–1,300 per quintal. We’re staring at losses due to increased moisture content in the crop,” he added.

Another farmer, whose crop was due for harvesting, expressed similar concerns.

“I will incur losses. I had grown both paddy and maize. Rain is good for paddy and fatal for maize at this juncture and I don’t know whether to be happy or sad in the present situation,” he said.

Experts at Punjab Agricultural University (PAU) said the ongoing rainfall was proving highly beneficial for paddy across the region.

The showers are supplying the much-needed standing water, which is essential for healthy rice growth during this phase, they opined.

PAU scientists stressed that timely monsoon activity not only boosted paddy growth but also contributed to better soil health and groundwater recharge, creating a win-win situation for both agriculture and environment.

According to the India Meteorological Department, Punjab is expected to receive moderate to heavy rainfall in the coming weeks and farmers have been advised to take precautions to protect harvested crops and avoid storage in open fields.

Punjab