Rabi farmers and fruit growers in Himachal stare at losses amid prolonged dry spell

Shimla: The prolonged dry spell in Himachal Pradesh coupled with a warm winter this year has left the Rabi farmers staring at losses as the harsh weather could harm crop growth.

Further, the apple orchards are also getting deprived of the required moisture and chilling hours.

On Saturday, the minimum temperatures surged across the state and stayed 3-10 degrees Celsius above normal as the dry spell continued, leaving the farmers of Rabi crop, including wheat, worried.

This dry spell has come as another blow to the state's farmers who already suffered massive losses due to excess rains and flash floods during the monsoon last year.

Farmer said Rabi crops sown in rainfed areas during November have withered owing to the dry spell.

"The rabi crops in Darlaghat and surrounding villages have got damaged and the situation is the same in other villages of the district," said Kanshi Ram, a marginal farmer of Khatta village in Darlaghat.

The apple plantation had been poor in 2023 and if dry weather continues, the situation will be worse this year, said horticulturalist Sujaat Chauhan.

The minimum temperature which was minus 9.1 degrees Celsius at Kusumseri on Thursday rose to 0.9 degrees on Saturday, which was over ten notches above the normal.

Dharamsala and Shimla also saw an unusual surge in minimum temperatures on Saturday.

Dharmshala recorded a low of 9.2 degrees Celsius, 6.3 degrees above the season's average, while Shimla noted a minimum of 9 degrees Celsius, 5.3 notches above normal.

The maximum temperatures fluctuated marginally and Bhuntar was the hottest in the state with a high of 22.4 degrees Celsius, while Shimla and Kusumseri recorded a high of 17.7 degrees Celsius and 17.5 degrees Celsius, 6.6 and 3.2 notches above normal respectively.

Himachal Pradesh received 83 per cent deficit rains in December, whereas the deficit was 100 per cent in January so far. The Met Office's forecast for the continuation of the dry spell and warm weather is keeping people on tenterhooks as besides loss to crops, dry deficit rains could cause water shortage in summer.

The MeT has predicted the occurrence of dense to very dense fog at isolated places during the next three days in Mandi, Bilaspur, Hamirpur, Una, Kangra (Nurpur), Sirmaur (Paonta Sahib and Dhaula Kuan) and Solan (Baddi and Nalagarh).

It also forecast rains or snow at isolated places in higher hills on January 16 and 17 and dry weather in the state up to January 19 as a fresh western disturbance is likely to affect the state from January 16.