A farmer examines his tobacco crop destroyed by hail in Swabi.
© DawnA farmer examines his tobacco crop destroyed by hail in Swabi.
Heavy rain and hailstorm destroyed tobacco, wheat and vegetable crops in different areas of the district on Sunday.

The rain accompanied with hailstorm lashed numerous farming terrains of the district which ruined the standing crops. Farmers said the affected crops had little chances of growing now, resulting in big losses for them. Wheat harvest has been in progress while tobacco curing is expected to start in the next few days.

Leaders of the farmers said the rain mainly damaged crops in Nazari, Swabi tehsil, Mattra village, Sikandari union council, Razaar tehsil, Gohati, Seenkhel, Babu Banda, Maneri Bala union council and various other regions. All these regions are popular for growing both Virginia and white patta tobacco, they said.


This correspondent visited fields and met with farmers who had been in a state of shock over the damage.

Juma Gul, a tobacco farmer, said he was shocked to see the crops in his fields destroyed, saying hailstorm caused him loss of Rs1.5 million.

Kisan Board district president Khalid Khan, who cultivated tobacco and wheat, said the provincial government should constitute a team to visit the hailstorm-hit regions and determine financial losses of the growers.

Kashthkar Coordination Council general secretary Liaquat Yousafzai said the affected growers needed financial assistance to survive because their entire year expenditures were linked with the wheat and tobacco production.