UP crops feel the cold now

Besides claiming 250 lives in the past 10 days, the biting cold wave in Uttar Pradesh has also damaged 10 to 20 per cent of the Rabi crop in...

Besides claiming 250 lives in the past 10 days, the biting cold wave in Uttar Pradesh has also damaged 10 to 20 per cent of the Rabi crop in the state, including pulses, mustard seeds and vegetables like potatoes, peas and tomatoes.

Director (Statistics) in the Agriculture Directorate R.K. Das says: ‘‘If the cold wave continues for another 10 days, it will damage the main Rabi crops like wheat and barley. In the areas which received rain on December 30 and 31, the damage will be comparatively less.’’

The state’s Horticulture Department was expecting a bumper crop this year with more land being used to grow potatoes. As compared to 3.6 lakh hectares under the crop for the last two years, farmers had cultivated potato in about 4.25 lakh hectares this time. In fact, the Uttar Pradesh government had even begun preparations to export the vegetable to other states and countries to stabilise its price.

Owing to poor arrivals, peas which were selling for Rs 4-5 a kg till three days ago in the retail market are now going for Rs 8-10. ‘‘If the weather continues like this, arrival of peas will dwindle further, raising the price to Rs 20 per kg,’’ says a vegetable vendor, Ram Charan. Prices of tomato, cauliflower, cabbage and capsicum have doubled in the past three-four days following large-scale damage of crops, while edible oil and pulses have also seen an increase in rates.