Chandigarh, Oct. 15 -- The recent floods - the worst in four decades - and the subsequent October rains have disrupted Punjab's agricultural cycle this year, with experts warning that the setback could hit next year's wheat yield.

Last season's wheat was sown over 35 lakh hectares (86 lakh acres) with 182 lakh tonnes of the crop procured.

The prolonged wet spell and deluge have already delayed paddy harvesting by nearly a month, narrowing the ideal window for sowing wheat. So far, only about 20% of the kharif crop sown over 32.5 lakh hectares (80 lakh acres) has been harvested.

To date, nearly 30 lakh tonnes of paddy have arrived in the mandis, which is less than 17% of the total expected harvest of 175 lakh tonnes. Moreover, officials...