Hailstorm with strong winds damages crops in Baitadi, farmers express concern

Baitadi: A hailstorm accompanied by strong winds has caused damage to vegetables and grain crops in Baitadi.

Farmers have expressed concern that the hailstorm that struck on Tuesday afternoon led to significant losses in unseasonal vegetable farming and grain crops, including maize and soybean, particularly in the lower Swarad region of the district. Sharad Singh Negi stated that the most severe damage occurred in wards 1, 4, 5, 6, and 7 of Melauli Municipality.

Farmer Chintamani Bhatta reported that the hailstorm destroyed maize and tomato plants that were scheduled for planting in the coming days. Similarly, farmer Sunita Dayal said that the maize crop, cultivated with significant effort and investment, was ruined, causing major losses to food sources for both people and livestock throughout the year.

Locals said that crops such as vegetable beds, corn, soybeans, chillies, and beans planted by farmers were damaged across most parts of Melauli Municipality. Karna Bahadur Chand stated that farmers are worried about reduced production after the hailstorm also damaged wheat and barley crops that were in the process of being harvested.

The full extent of the damage across the district is yet to be determined. Following the windstorm accompanied by hail, a noticeable drop in temperature has also been experienced in Baitadi.