Frost Damages Potato and Tomato Crop in Karnal

The continued accumulation of heavy frost on plants for the past few days is feared to have damaged 75% of the tomato crop in the district of Karnal, while potato growers may have suffered losses over 20%.



District horticulture officer (DHO) Madan Lal said nearly 3,600-hectare land was under tomato cultivation in Karnal.



“This season, we were expecting a total production of 94,000 metric tonnes (MT), but the field inputs said nearly 70 to 80% has been damaged due to frost. Similarly, potato production is also feared to have dipped by 15 to 20%,” said Lal.



Horticulture farming is heavily concentrated in villages near Taraori, including Takhana, Padhana and Shamgarh.



Lal said there was no way to prevent damage to vegetable crops from natural reasons, except indulging in protected farming, which ensures no loss in productivity due to harsh climactic condition.



“The agriculture department is motivating farmers to adopt new-age farming techniques, including polyhouses and low tunnels, on which the state government offers heavy subsidies. Sprinklers are helpful in combating the impact of frost, and farmers are gradually beginning to use them,” said the DHO.