Karnal, Nov. 4 -- Unseasonal rainfall, coupled with hailstorms and thunderstorms in October, has delayed wheat sowing in Haryana by leaving fields too wet to begin planting for the rabi season.

Scientists at the Indian Institute of Wheat and Barley Research (IIWBR) said that sowing usually begins by the second fortnight of October in the region and reaches 10% by the first week of November. "Rainfall activities have drastically delayed harvesting of previous crops and thus delayed sowing of rabi crops including wheat. As the situation improves, it is likely to pick up after Diwali," principal scientist Anuj Kumar told HT.

According to the India Meteorological Department (IMD), Haryana witnessed 34.6mm of rain, which is 268% more than th...