No adverse effect on crops: Ikbal

Bhopal, Mar 5 (UNI) Agriculture Produce Commissioner Ikbal Ahmed said, the unseasonal rainfall and hailstorm in some parts of Madhya Pradesh during the past four days, has not adversely affected the crops.

This was mentioned in reports received by the government from divisional commissioners of various divisions.

However, minor damages to houses and the crops at some places had been reported.

Mr Ahmed, said rains and hailstorm damaged crops at some villages in Chhindwara district of Jabalpur division, while no adverse damage was reported in Sagar and Gwalior-Chambal divisions.

While the crops at Kanad in Ujjain division's Shajapur district were less affected, they suffered damage in Indore division's Khargone, Neemuch and Badwani, where some houses were also destroyed.

He said, ''the crops in about 35 villages at Vidisha and Ganjabsauda in Bhopal division suffered partial damages, while 'kucha' houses were badly damaged at some villages in Betul district.

The Commissioner said, rains and hailstorm would not affect wheat crops and gram. However, the wheat production would drop as sowing was done over an area of 36.89 lakh hectares as compared to 41.6 lakh hectares previous year.

''Around 68-70 lakh tonne wheat will be produced this year, against last year's 71 lakh tonne,'' he added.

Likewise, gram had been sown over 25 lakh hectares this year, while it was only 27 lakh hectares the previous year. More than 25 lakh tonne gram had been produced last year.

''The production will be around 25 lakh tonne this year,'' he added.

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