Woes continue to pour on Punjab farmers. Rainfall accompanied by hailstorm lashed Ludhiana, Jalandhar, Muktsar, Faridkot, Gurdaspur and some others areas, spelling doom for the wheat crop, which is ready for harvesting, and washing away the hope of a bumper yield.

Punjab, in the last few days, has received three spells of hailstorm that has destroyed the standing wheat crop. The damage is still being evaluated.

Agriculture Director Balwinder Singh Sidhu said, "Seven villages in Gidderbaha, 14 in Malout and 24 in Muktsar have been affected. We are calculating the exact area."

He said the most-affected district was Fatehgarh Sahib, where crop has been flattened.

Meanwhile, head of the PAU's Department of Agricultural Meteorology Dr GS Bains said, "These rains have resulted due to western disturbances in the northern regions, including Pakistan, J&K, Punjab and Haryana."

Head of the PAU's Department of Vegetable Crops DS Cheema said, "Sudden torrential rains can also affect vegetable crops, like tomato which is at flowering stage. Diseases, including blight in tomato and downy mildew in cucurbits and pests in okra, can build up in humid conditions. Tomato, capsicum and brinjal growing in net-houses will require ventilation to remove excess humidity.”

“Rains can also affect flowering in trees of mango and kinnow. The developing fruits in plum and peach can drop with heavy rainfall and hailstorm can damage pear," said Dr JS Bal, head of the Department of Horticulture, PAU.

Meanwhile, due to heavy showers, procurement at Khanna Mandi came to a standstill. Harbans Singh Rosha, a trader, said, "Till yesterday, we had received 30,000 quintals of wheat, but today the arrival was just 5,000 quintals. It will further dry up from tomorrow because of the downpour."

In Jalandhar, rainfall and hailstone created a panic among farmers.

Earlier, the showers that lashed Doaba about 10 days ago had damaged 50 per cent of the crop in five villages of Shahkot sub-division.

Chief Agriculture Officer Dr Kulbir Singh said more showers would further damage the crop.