Jammu, July 20: Continuous heavy rainfall has caused extensive damage to crops and agricultural land in several districts of the Jammu region, prompting the Agriculture Department to advise farmers to harvest mature produce without delay to minimise further losses.

Director Agriculture Jammu, Anil Gupta, said preliminary field assessments indicate significant damage to standing crops, particularly in the districts of Poonch, Rajouri and Kishtwar, which have witnessed intense rainfall, flash floods and landslides over the past few days.
He said paddy fields, maize crops and agricultural land have suffered substantial losses in the affected districts. In some parts of Kishtwar, preliminary estimates suggest crop losses ranging between 70 and 80 per cent, making it one of the worst-hit districts during the ongoing wet spell.
Gupta urged farmers to harvest mature crops at the earliest wherever possible to prevent additional losses if the prevailing weather conditions continue. He said field officers have been directed to monitor the situation closely and remain in constant touch with farming communities in the affected areas.
The Agriculture Department has also initiated the process of assessing the extent of damage to crops and farmland so that appropriate relief measures can be considered in accordance with government norms.
The warning comes as heavy rainfall continues to batter several parts of the Jammu region, triggering flash floods, landslides and widespread damage to public infrastructure, residential houses and agricultural fields.
Farmers have been advised to remain vigilant, follow weather advisories issued by the authorities and take all possible precautionary measures to safeguard their produce and livestock.