Gwalior, Morena and Shivpuri observed hailstorm which may have damaged the standing crop of Chana in Madhya Pradesh. Madhya Pradesh is the largest producer of Chana in the country with the average in season area of 30.595 lakh hectares. As per reports, this year, Chana has been sown in an area of 32.52 lakh hectares in the state.
Chana crop is sown mainly between the months of September to November and harvesting starts February onward. Currently, Chana crop is between grain filling and grain thickening stage during which light rains are quite beneficial for the crop. However, due to the occurrence of heavy rains with hails along with high speed winds, the threat of crop damage looms large over the state.
Intensity of crop damage in Madhya Pradesh from hailstorm, rains as well as squally winds is not yet known.
As per weathermen at Skymet, now, rainfall intensity is likely to reduce and rains will take a backseat during the next 24 hours. Thus, clear weather conditions are expected in the coming days and no more damage is likely in terms of crops.
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Disclaimer: The article is purely based on field reports, please take note