LAHORE: Heavy rain accompanied by freaky hailstorms, carpeting some areas, and strong winds in many parts of Punjab have added to the woes of farmers, who now fear not only for the standing crops -mainly wheat and maize but say that damages would also impact next cycle as they have lost money and investment capacity for the Kharif crops.

Strong winds and rain have already flattened the wheat crop at various places in the province and the weather pundits warn that the current wet and windy pattern would hold for the next three days as well, generating fears among farmers for worsen-ing of their losses.

Abad Khan, a farmer from central Punjab, calculates the rain loss: `It is 90 per cent damaging to the current agricultural cycle. Only 10 per cent crops like sugarcane, being very strong, may escape any impact or fodder that has achieved a certain level of height. All the rest, especially wheat, which is now inching towards final maturity, would suffer the most, and so would the country. Similarly, the maize and canola crop may suffer the most after wheat.

Wheat, which lost over 200,000 acres to canola and other crops, is set for major damage. The country already feared a three million tons of deficit this year. It may increase.

How much? The only damage assessment would finalize the figure, but it is certain towiden and cost the country dearly,` he claims.

`The Punjab Crop Reporting Service has already asked its field formations to carry out the survey and start assessing damage, reveals an official of the service. In fact, the dangerous damage started only two days ago, and the Crop Reporting has already swung into action. The next three days may also cause more damage because the same pattern would hold. So, it may take another few days to have a reasonable appraisal of the damage,` he said.

Farmers are suffering on more than one account as far as the weather is concerned, laments Malik Naeem, a farmer from south Punjab. The reliability of the meteorological forecasts is a question mark for farmers.It rains, where the meteorological officials say it won`t and does not rain where they say it would. To make matter worse, the prediction itself is vague, which causes confusion rather than certainty. The Met Office prediction tells it would rain in south Punjab and upper Sindh. This area is spread over thousands of square kilometres, covering millions of acres and farmers. What would it mean for districts, tehsils, villages and individual farmers? No one knows. What farmers now need is area-specific forecasts, not generalized predictions, Malik demanded.

The only area where current spell would benefit wheat is barani (rain-fed), where the crop was squeezed out of life by a long dry spell, says Muhammad Ramzan of Chakwal. However, it is totally disastrousfor oil seed crops (canola and mustard), which are being harvested and thrashed.

Rain on harvested crops means total loss and that is what is happening. Grams crop sown on the plains just below the area may also suffer, he fears.

Pakistan now has to reinvent wheat genetics, advises Faisalabad Agriculture University Vice-Chancellor Dr Iqrar A Khan. It has to go for seeds that produce stronger straw and grain, which can withstand the current pattern of rain and wind.

It would also mean more potash (fertiliser) and better seed. The crop agronomy also needs to be improved. The thousands of years old practice may not serve the crop and the country any more, Dr Khan concludes.