The pea crop in the Chamba-Mussoorie fruit belt and other crops in the Henwal valley has been considerably damaged by rain and hail on the weekend. The farmers who were already tackling the crop damage resulting from delayed rain are demanding compensation from the State Government after the latest damage.
Wheat, peas, barley and Masoor are cultivated in considerable quantity in Chamba-Mussoorie fruit belt and Henwal valley in Tehri district.
Earlier, the farmers were unable to sow their crops on time due to delayed rainfall.
The farmers were somehow struggling to tackle crop damage caused by delay in rainfall but the rain and hail experienced in this region on Saturday and Sunday has exacerbated agricultural damage. A substantial proportion of wheat and pea crop has been damaged due to the hail. The farmers are now facing a financial crisis due to the detrimental effects of climatic factors.
Environmentalist Dhoom Singh Negi states that the inconsistent weather pattern has hit the farmers hard with cultivators in various areas not being able to sow their crops due to absence of rain. The delayed rain now will not benefit the agriculture production, he added.
The meteorological department technical officer at Ranichauri Prakash Negi informed that about 25 mm rain had been recorded in the last two days.