Rise in temperature unlikely to impact wheat crop
The current increase in the maximum temperature is not a concern for the standing wheat crop in India as the major producing States of Punjab, Haryana, Uttar Pradesh and Rajasthan have not been affected, while the harvest in most of these areas, where the day temperature has increased, has been completed. This comes amidst the Government closely monitoring the wheat crop with record harvest being projected.
“The wheat has been harvested in those parts where the temperature crossed 41 degrees Celsius, even if the crop arrival is slow. It is the most favourable season for wheat till date, per IMD records,” said Gyanendra Singh, director of Haryana’s Karnalbased Indian Institute of Wheat and Barley Research (IIWBR) under Indian Council of Agricultural Research (ICAR).
According to Singh, there is no threat to the crop until the maximum temperature crosses 38 degrees Celsius and the minimum breaches 27 degrees Celsius.
He hopes that the wheat will be harvested by then in the entire country. In Haryana, farmers are likely to start harvesting in the first week of April and in Punjab and UP from second week of next month, official sources said.
According to India Meteorological Department (IMD) data, the maximum temperatures were in the range of 4042 deg Celsius on March 28 at some places over west Madhya Pradesh, Vidarbha, Gujarat region,
Marathwada, madhya Maharashtra and west Rajasthan. Maximum temperatures were in the range 3235 degrees Celsius over the IndoGangetic plane comprising of Punjab and remaining parts of north Haryana and north Uttar Pradesh, north Bihar.
NO MAJOR CHANGE
IMD said in a bulletin that significant change in maximum temperatures are unlikely over northwest India during next 24 hours and fall by 23 deg Celsius thereafter. But, gradual rise in maximum temperatures by 23 deg Celsius is predicted over Central India in next two days and no significant change thereafter.
Heat wave conditions are predicted in isolated pockets over Vidarbha on March 2930 and warm night is likely to prevail in isolated pockets over Gujarat, Marathwada and Madhya Maharashtra on March 2829.
that significant change in maximum temperatures are unlikely over northwest India during next 24 hours and fall by 23 deg Celsius thereafter
While the Agriculture Ministry has pegged the wheat production to be 112.02 million tonnes (mt) for the 202324 crop year (JulyJune), the Food Ministry has pegged the likely procurement to be 37.29 mt in the marketing year beginning April 1.
TARGETTED BUYS
The Centre hopes to buy 13 mt of wheat from Punjab in 202425 against 12.11 mt bought in 202324. Similarly for Haryana and Madhya Pradesh, the target is to buy 8 mt, each whereas the actual procurement was 6.32 mt and 7.1 mt, respectively. The target for Rajasthan has been fixed at 2 mt whereas actual purchase was 0.44 mt in 2023.