Punjab Agricultural Minister Gurmeet Khudia stated on January 31, 2026, that untimely and excessive rainfall has caused severe damage to crops across more than 130,000 acres in the state.
He urged the Central Government to provide urgent assistance to address the crisis.
"The untimely and excessive rainfall has had a severe impact on Punjab’s agriculture, damaging crops across more than 130,000 acres," Khudia said.
He added, "For many days now, the weather has been very bad, just as the crops were about to reach maturity. Farmers toil for six months, hoping for a good harvest, but untimely rain and hailstorms have caused huge losses across Punjab."
The minister noted that under Chief Minister Bhagwant Singh Mann, the state government has introduced special relief measures and deployed 500 officials in assessment teams to evaluate the damage. "We have also urged the central government to provide substantial help, reminding them of Punjab’s historic contribution to national food security and development," Khudia stated.
Highlighting Punjab’s pivotal role in the Green Revolution, Khudia emphasised, "Punjabis have contributed more than 40% to the country’s grain supply. From independence to today, Punjabis have enhanced the nation’s pride in every field. Despite earlier promises of aid, today, when our farmers face such a crisis, the state remains neglected. That is why we are calling for a special package. The country should come forward to support us. A special package is urgently needed."
Regarding compensation, Khudia said the Punjab government, together with the Chief Minister, will assess total losses and submit a detailed proposal to the Centre for relief.
Unseasonal rain accompanied by hail has also flattened and severely damaged the wheat crop in Haryana’s Jhajjar district, affecting numerous farmers.
A local farmer told ANI, "The crop has been entirely damaged. We demand compensation from the government… Conditions are worse in the entire village; everything has been destroyed."
Another farmer added, "My almost entire crop has been damaged, apart from the 10-20% that might be left… There will be a lot of problems in the sale of this crop. We demand from the government that a timely survey of this damage is carried out and appropriate compensation is given on time."