Congress MP Demands Central Intervention for Punjab's Wheat Crop Crisis
In a urgent appeal, Congress MP from Gurdaspur, Sukhjinder Singh Randhawa, has written to Union Agriculture Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan, highlighting severe damage to standing wheat crops in Punjab caused by unseasonal rain, hailstorms, and strong winds. The letter, sent on Sunday, calls for immediate Central government action to address the crisis at a critical pre-harvest stage.
Extensive Crop Losses Due to Adverse Weather
Randhawa detailed that a series of active western disturbances since March 30-31, accompanied by cyclonic circulation, have battered large parts of Punjab, particularly the Malwa belt. Field reports indicate crop losses ranging from 30% to 70% in the worst-hit areas. With Punjab having sown wheat over more than 34 lakh hectares, the crop was nearing harvest readiness when the adverse weather struck, coinciding with the start of procurement on April 1.
Continuous rainfall has delayed harvesting by nearly two weeks in several districts, pushing farmers beyond the ideal harvest window. This exposure to prolonged moisture risks triggering fungal infections and pre-harvest sprouting, which could further deteriorate grain quality and lower market prices. Randhawa also flagged losses to wheat already harvested and stored in fields or mandis, as rain-soaked grain may fail to meet the Food Corporation of India's moisture specifications of 12% to 14%, leading to potential rejection at procurement centres.
Concerns Over Lack of Crop Insurance Coverage
A key issue raised in the letter is that Punjab farmers have no protection under the Pradhan Mantri Fasal Bima Yojana (PMFBY), as the state has not implemented the crop insurance scheme since its launch in Kharif 2016. Randhawa emphasized that this leaves farmers outside the national crop insurance framework, despite hailstorm and unseasonal rainfall losses being covered under PMFBY's localised risk provisions.
He questioned whether the Union government has initiated any independent assessment of crop losses and sought clarity on relief mechanisms available to Punjab farmers in the absence of PMFBY coverage. Specifically, Randhawa asked if relief must be provided solely by the Punjab State Government from its own resources or the State Disaster Response Fund (SDRF), or if the ministry will recommend additional National Disaster Response Fund (NDRF) assistance for this crop loss event.
Calls for Policy Revisions and Immediate Relief
Randhawa further urged the ministry to address several critical issues. He pointed out that the SDRF's per-hectare input subsidy rates for crop damage were fixed years ago and do not reflect current input costs for seeds, fertiliser, pesticides, and labour, which have risen substantially. He requested an urgent revision of these norms to ensure relief payments are adequate and not derisory.
Additionally, in response to demands from farm unions across Punjab, Randhawa urged the ministry to relax the FCI's wheat moisture specifications due to the extraordinary weather circumstances. This would prevent farmers from being penalised twice—first by the hailstorm and then by rejection at mandis.
Proposal for Future Crop Insurance Enrollment
Randhawa also proposed that the Ministry make a formal, time-bound offer to the Government of Punjab to join PMFBY from Rabi 2026-27, with full Central technical and financial support. He argued that the current calamity highlights the cost of Punjab's prolonged absence from the scheme, as enrollment would have provided compensable coverage for such losses without bureaucratic delays.
The letter underscores the urgent need for coordinated efforts between Central and state authorities to mitigate the impact on Punjab's agricultural sector and support affected farmers during this challenging period.
