Rice Harvest in Punjab 2026: Cut at 20 to 22% Grain Moisture, Dry to 12 to 13% and Chop the Straw

Harvest coarse rice in Punjab when the top grains of the panicle are ripe and the lowest two or three are still green, at 20 to 22 per cent grain moisture, then dry it to 12 to 13 per cent. Give basmati its last irrigation 15 to 18 days before cutting. Chop the straw into the soil instead of burning it.

That is the Punjab Agriculture Department's rice advice for 16 to 31 October 2026, from its Urdu farm advisory signed by Shahbaz Akhtar, Director General Agriculture (Extension) Punjab. We read it on 20 October and set it out below in plain English. The timing matters for grain quality, and the straw left behind is one of the things the province is watching closely in the smog season, with Lahore's air reading 207 at 5 am on 20 October on the official dashboard.

Cut coarse rice when the top grains are ripe and the lowest two or three are green

The department says to start harvesting and threshing coarse varieties when the upper grains of the panicle are ripe and the lowest two or three grains are still green. At that stage, it says, grain moisture is about 20 to 22 per cent.

The panicle is the grain head at the top of the stem. The panicle test is the department's simple field check when a moisture meter is not at hand.

Dry the threshed grain to 12 to 13 per cent moisture

After threshing, the department says to arrange drying so that grain moisture falls to 12 to 13 per cent. It gives no method or equipment for this.

A grain moisture meter gives an exact reading, where one is available. If you plan to store the crop rather than sell at harvest, ZTBL lends against stored paddy through its warehouse receipt loan for rice.

Give basmati its last irrigation 15 to 18 days before harvest

For basmati, the department says not to let water run short while the grain is filling, and to give the last irrigation 15 to 18 days before cutting. That lets the field dry enough for machines while the grain finishes filling.

Water this winter is tighter than usual. IRSA, the federal water regulator, has set a 22 per cent canal shortage for Punjab for the Rabi season that began on 1 October. Plan the last basmati irrigation with your canal turn or tubewell in mind, and do not cut it short while grain is still filling. The federal Rabi 2026-27 farm plan uses the same figure.

Use a rice harvester, or a combine set for rice

If you harvest by machine, the department prefers a rice harvester of the Kubota type. If one is not available, use a combine harvester that has the adjustment for cutting rice, so that fewer grains break.

Ask the operator whether the machine has been set for rice before it enters your field, and look at a handful of threshed grain in the first few minutes. Farmers who want their own machine can look at the ZTBL tractor loan, which runs up to Rs 2.5 million.

Late varieties still need watching for blight, blast and pests

The department warns that late varieties can be hit by bacterial leaf blight, brown leaf spot and paddy blast, and by leaf folder and planthopper attacks. If you see an attack, spray a suitable, safe pesticide on the advice of local extension and pest warning staff.

Do not spray on a dealer's word alone. If a product looks wrong, you can report fake pesticide in Punjab to the department.

Chop the straw into the soil instead of burning it

The department asks farmers not to burn rice residue. Instead, cut it with a rice straw chopper and mix it into the soil, which adds to soil fertility and avoids the smoke that feeds smog and air pollution.

1. Check the panicle: top grains ripe, lowest two or three still green.
2. For basmati, give the last irrigation 15 to 18 days before cutting.
3. Cut with a rice harvester, or a combine set for rice.
4. Dry the threshed grain to 12 to 13 per cent moisture.
5. Chop the straw and mix it into the soil, and never burn it.

The Punjab EPA's orders page lists a stubble burning action plan and surveillance squads from last season. Fires can bring crop burning fines in Punjab. If you need a machine to sow wheat straight into the chopped straw, the province has offered a super seeder rental subsidy.

Common questions

When should rice be harvested in Punjab?

Cut coarse rice when the upper grains are ripe and the lowest two or three grains of the panicle are still green, at about 20 to 22 per cent moisture.

What moisture should paddy be dried to?

12 to 13 per cent, according to the Punjab Agriculture Department.

When should basmati get its last irrigation?

15 to 18 days before harvest. Do not let water run short while the grain is filling.

Which machine should I use to harvest rice?

A rice harvester is preferred. If none is available, use a combine harvester with the rice adjustment so fewer grains break.

What should I do with rice straw?

Cut it with a rice straw chopper and mix it into the soil. The department asks farmers not to burn it.

How we verified this

What we checked, where we read it, and what we could not confirm.

We read the Punjab Agriculture Department's farm advisory for 16 to 31 October 2026, listed on its crop advisory page, on 20 October 2026, a scanned Urdu document that we translated ourselves. The 22 per cent shortage is from IRSA's press release of 6 October 2026, and Lahore's 207 reading is from the Punjab AQI dashboard at 5 am on 20 October 2026. We opened the department's weekly rice pest report for the second week of October, but its district table did not come through clearly enough to quote.