Meanwhile, rains continued to pour even today, causing further damage for the crop. Rough estimates put together by the State Department of Agriculture say that the wheat production this year was likely to fall by 4 per cent.

If showers continued for few more days, Punjab will repeat its dismal performance of 2005-06, when it failed to meet its procurement target of 115 lakh MT and could pick up only 68 lakh MT. The market arrival of wheat was around 81 lakh MT, out of which 13 lakh MT was purchased by private players. That year too, the crop was hit by rains.

At Khanna grain market, large heaps of wheat crop covered with tarpaulin could be seen. Harbans Singh Rosha, a trader, said, "We have about 30,000 MT wheat lying in the mandi, but because of rains not a single grain was picked up."