While major sown areas falling near Patiala have suffered huge losses, the farmers are demanding a special girdawari for their crops. While a temperature of around 10 to 15 degree Celsius is considered good for vegetable crops at this time of the year, the temperatures ranging from 0 to 5 degree Celsius has spoiled them.

On one hand the frost condition has proved to be a blessing for the wheat crop but on the other hand it has turned out to be a nightmare for the marginal farmers as their vegetable crops have been damaged. A visit to various nearby villages of Patiala reveals that the crop of potato has been damaged completely.

“A couple of days ago the losses were around 30 per cent but the cold conditions and the further increase in the frost content has increased our losses,” said Gurjhan Singh a farmer from Inderpura village near Patiala. “You can see yourself that the potatoes are completely damaged and the crop is a waste now,” he added while showing the crop.

Agriculture Department officials stationed in Patiala fear that almost 40 to 70 per cent of the crop in Samana, Patran, Nabha, Sanaur, Rakhra and other nearby villages have been affected by the frost.

Despite the advise given by agriculture experts, the farmers had sown their crops quite late and thus the frost in December has affected their crops. “The ideal time for planting potatoes is between October 1 and October 25,” he added.

Meanwhile, a few farmers present in their fields in Sanaur told Newsline that small farmers are at great loss as big farmers never go for vegetables and instead bank upon wheat and paddy. “The loss is too high considering the fact that poor farmers with small pieces of scattered land sow vegetables,” said one Niranjan Singh, whose pea crop has been destroyed by frost bite, while his neighbour has suffered the loss of his potato crop.