Patiala, May 16 -- Punjab farm fire count crossed the 9,000 mark on Friday, with the state recording a 24% rise in the incidents during the ongoing rabi season compared to the same period last year. The state reported 57 fresh cases on Friday, taking the season's tally to 9,043 so far this year. Last year, the state had recorded 7,239 cases during the corresponding period. According to data compiled by the Indian Agricultural Research Institute (IARI), Ferozepur remains the worst-affected district with 875 incidents reported to date, followed by Bathinda (730) and Tarn Taran (704). Last year, Punjab reported a total of 10,207 farm fire cases between April and May. The state recorded 13,420 cases in 2020, 10,100 in 2021, 14,511 in 2022, 11,353 in 2023, and 11,900 in 2024. Officials and agricultural experts fear the numbers may rise further as more farmers begin clearing fields ahead of the paddy transplantation season, which officially begins from June 1. "The paddy sowing season in Punjab officially begins on June 1, and farmers are under pressure to prepare their fields for the next crop cycle. Many resort to burning wheat residue as it is considered the quickest and cheapest way to clear fields within a short window," the agricultural expert said, requesting anonymity. Punjab's tally this season is also significantly higher than neighbouring Haryana, which has recorded 3,312 incidents so far. In Haryana, Jind district reported the highest number of farm fires with 487 incidents, followed by Rohtak with 425 and Jhajjar with 323 cases....