Though the crop had matured around 15 days ago, untimely rainfall and strong winds delayed harvesting operations in many parts of Sirmaur district. According to the Agriculture Department, around 20 per cent of the crop suffered damage this year due to unseasonal weather conditions.
Progressive farmers, including Mila Ram Sharma, Vidya Devi, Madho Ram, Vicky, Satish and Rakesh, said that persistent moisture in fields caused garlic bulbs to darken in colour and affected their size and quality. They added that disease infestation in some areas also impacted the overall production.
Garlic cultivation plays a major role in the agrarian economy of the district and Sirmaur is considered one of the leading garlic-producing regions of the state. The produce from the district remains in high demand in major markets such as Chennai, Karnataka and Maharashtra and from there it is exported to foreign markets.
Agriculture Department officials said that garlic cultivation was done on around 4,000 hectares in the Trans-Giri belt, generating an annual production of around 70,000 metric tonnes. Farmers in the region mainly cultivate the Parvati variety while some also procure seeds from Kullu.