Heavy rain, hailstorm and strong winds due to a western disturbance have not only wreaked havoc on wheat crops in Punjab but also caused loss to horticulture and floriculture.Farmers are now looking at the state government to conduct a special girdawari (crop loss assessment) and provide aid.A preliminary estimate of the Agriculture Department suggests that ready-to-harvest wheat crop on 1.5 lakh acres was flattened. Floriculturists, meanwhile, have suffered losses of up to 35 per cent. Punjab has more than 5,000 hectares under floriculture and more than five lakh hectares under horticulture.With crop damage and debt mounting, many farmers, particularly with small land holding, had moved away from the wheat-paddy cycle towards diversification.However, those growing summer vegetables and flowers such as roses, marigold and California poppy for seed production said hailstorms have caused severe leaf and bud drop, reducing marketable quality.Gurpreet Singh Shergill, president, Flower Growers Association of Punjab, said many growers were forced to cancel orders for decoration of wedding venues, compounding their financial distress. He demanded a special girdawari for floriculture crops.Harcharan Singh, a floriculturist in Patiala, said he suffered nearly 35 per cent crop loss. “The hailstorm destroyed buds and flowers that were meant for wedding orders. It is a huge setback,” he said.Gurwinder Singh, a floriculturist of Kheri Mallan village in Patiala, noted that while marigolds are used at religious places, roses and rose petals are in high demand during weddings.As Baisakhi is round the corner, this time of the year is considered auspicious for weddings and it coincides with the harvesting season.“We have been fortunate as the inclement weather did not cause much damage in and around Patiala,” said Gurwinder.The Director of Horticulture, Punjab, said losses to vegetables, fruits, fodder, flowers and other rabi crops have been reported from several districts, including Fazilka, Ferozepur, Muktsar Sahib, Bathinda, Amritsar, Moga and Mansa. He added that collection and compilation of affected areas is currently under way.