India, April 18 -- Rain and strong winds accompanied by thunderstorms on Wednesday night have damaged the wheat crop in several parts of Punjab, with farmers reporting crop flattening in multiple districts. The adverse weather has affected harvesting of the mature crop in several areas where lodging (flattening) of wheat plants has been widely reported. Experts warn that the rain could also lead to discoloration of grains, further impacting quality.

While some officials believe the damage may not be widespread, reports from various villages indicate otherwise. According to Randhir Singh, chief agriculture officer of Jalandhar, teams have been dispatched to assess the situation, and no significant damage has been reported in his district ...