Cape Times

Scorching heat hits wheat yields

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A BLISTERING heat wave has scorched wheat fields in India, reducing yields in the second-biggest grower and damping expectatio­ns for exports that the world is relying on to alleviate a global shortage.

Temperatur­es soared in March to the highest ever for the month on record going back to 1901, shrivellin­g India’s wheat crop. That’s spurring estimates that yields have slumped 10% to 50% this season, according to farmers and local government officials.

This could be a serious blow to global wheat supplies after Russia’s war in Ukraine upended trade flows out of the critical Black Sea breadbaske­t region, prompting warnings of food shortages. Importing nations are looking to India for supplies, with the first shipment being prepared for top buyer Egypt. Lower production would jeopardise India’s ability to make up for the shortfall.

The food and commerce minister predicted that India will export 15 million tons of wheat this fiscal year, a record high and double what it shipped last year. The scorching heat has thrown that into doubt.

It’s also raising concerns for the domestic market, with millions depending on farming as their main livelihood and food source. It will lead to a drop in farmers’ income, just as costs of fertiliser and fuel have soared. The government also buys wheat for its food aid programme. India recorded an average 33.1°C in March, an all-time high. In April, temperatur­es surged to 46°C in some places.

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