Crisil warns of major crop losses in Punjab and Rajasthan due to heavy rains
10-Sep-2025 08:12 AM
Crisil warns of major crop losses in Punjab and Rajasthan due to heavy rains
★ Paddy, cotton, pulses, and horticulture crops are the worst affected.
★ Punjab witnessed 74% above-normal rainfall in August, submerging 70,000 hectares of farmland and causing severe damage to paddy, sugarcane, cotton, and horticulture crops. According to preliminary estimates by the Agriculture Ministry, out of nearly 300,000 hectares of paddy in Punjab, around 15,000 hectares have been impacted by floods.
★ In 2024-25, Punjab contributed 39% (30 million tonnes) of India’s total wheat procurement and 33% (54 million tonnes) of rice procurement, making the situation more concerning.
★ In Rajasthan, districts like Ajmer, Tonk, Kota, Bundi, Jaipur, and Dausa have also suffered significant losses in bajra, jowar, soybean, groundnut, green gram, and black gram crops due to heavy rains.
★ Andhra Pradesh and Karnataka have also experienced localized flooding, but paddy, maize, and cotton yields remain largely unaffected. However, production of pulses like urad and moong has declined due to flower drop issues.
★ September will be a crucial month for crop development, as paddy, cotton, soybean, maize, and onion enter key growth stages. Further crop damage could tighten food supplies, leading to increased inflation risks.
★ State-wise rainfall deviation: Rajasthan: +73%, Punjab: +55%, Jammu & Kashmir: +41%, Himachal Pradesh: +45%, Gujarat: +30%, Madhya Pradesh: +23%, Uttarakhand: +22%, Telangana: +20%. In contrast, Bihar (-32%) and Assam (-34%) have reported deficient rainfall.
★ Overall, the government has set a foodgrain production target of 354.64 million tonnes for 2025-26, but heavy rains and crop damage could pose a significant challenge to achieving this goal.