New Delhi: India’s precision strikes on Pakistan under ‘Operation Sindoor’ early Wednesday have escalated border tensions, sparking concern over potential disruptions to agriculture in Punjab, Rajasthan, Jammu & Kashmir, and Gujarat.
While the wheat harvest has been largely completed in these regions, any further escalation in tensions could disrupt kharif sowing and threaten food security in the coming months, according to people familiar with the matter.
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The India-Pakistan border, stretching 3,323 km across Gujarat, Rajasthan, Punjab, Jammu & Kashmir, includes a 553-km stretch shared by Punjab alone. This region holds strategic importance not just for national security but also for the country’s agricultural output.
Punjab, with only 1.53% of India’s geographical area, contributes a staggering 46.24% of wheat and 31.22% of rice to the central pool, underlining its critical role in the nation’s food supply.
The current tension follows India’s retaliatory air strikes on four Pakistani locations—Muridka, Bahawalpur, Kotli, and Muzaffarabad—in response to the 22 April terror attack in Pahalgam, Jammu and Kashmir, which claimed 26 lives, including two security officers.
While India’s wheat procurement for the 2025-26 rabi season is well underway—with Punjab contributing 11.72 million tonnes out of the national total of 26.04 million tonnes—the concern now shifts to the upcoming kharif season.
Border districts such as Gurdaspur, Amritsar, Tarn Taran, and Ferozepur in Punjab, Ganganagar, Hanumangarh, and Jaisalmer in Rajasthan, and Kupwara, Baramulla, and Uri in Jammu & Kashmir have significant wheat-growing areas near the zero line.
During normal times, the Border Security Force (BSF) manages farmers’ movement between the border fence and the international boundary. But during times of heightened alert, access can be restricted, disrupting routine farm operations.
“Wheat is safe for now, but if the conflict lingers, kharif sowing could be delayed or even skipped in vulnerable pockets,” a senior agriculture department official said, adding that preparations are being made to support affected farmers if the situation deteriorates.
Farmers in these states typically begin kharif sowing in June, starting with paddy nurseries, and any prolonged military tension could affect both logistics and labour availability.
“This is not just about Punjab—it’s about national food security,” said a farm union leader based in Amritsar. “The government must have a contingency plan if the standoff stretches beyond a few days.”
In Jammu & Kashmir, fruit cultivation may face significant disruption if tensions with Pakistan escalate into prolonged conflict. Though fruits like apples, apricots, cherries, and walnuts are grown on a relatively small scale in areas close to the Line of Control, especially in parts of Kupwara, Baramulla, and frontier belts of Uri and Karnah, they contribute meaningfully to the local economy and farmer incomes.
Even limited disturbances during the flowering or harvesting stages can affect both yield and quality, given the region’s dependence on timely labour and logistics.
While authorities are closely watching the situation, agriculture officials are coordinating with district administrations to assess ground-level disruptions and chalk out support mechanisms if farming operations near the border come to a halt.
“In the last week of April, we were asked by BSF personnel to finish wheat harvesting in the zone between the border fence and the zero line, which is managed by the BSF. Although the harvesting is over, if the situation escalates further, it will impact kharif sowing, especially paddy,” said Rattan Singh, a farmer from Attari village in Amritsar district, Punjab.
In Rajasthan, wheat is primarily cultivated in the Ganganagar, Hanumangarh, and Jaisalmer districts near the Pakistan border. Ganganagar leads with over 1 million hectares, followed by Hanumangarh with 500,000 hectares, and Jaisalmer with 50,000 to 75,000 hectares.
In Gujarat, the wheat crop in Kutch and Saurashtra regions, although smaller in comparison to Punjab and Rajasthan, may also be at risk if tensions affect farm activities in these border-adjacent areas.
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