No Effect Of High Temperatures On Wheat Crop So Far, Says Tomar

Union Agriculture Minister Narendra Singh Tomar said on Tuesday that the wheat crop has not suffered as a result of higher-than-normal temperatures in recent weeks.

"Weather-related challenges are always present in agriculture, and it would be premature to speculate on the impact of higher temperatures on wheat," Tomar said on the sidelines of a conference.

Currently, wheat harvesting has commenced in many parts of Madhya Pradesh, Gujarat and Maharashtra. Crop harvesting on a large scale, however, will begin on March 20 in Punjab, Haryana, Madhya Pradesh, Rajasthan, and Uttar Pradesh.

The government formed a committee last month to monitor the situation arising from any unusual rise in temperature and its impact on the wheat crop, as well as to issue necessary advisories to the farming community in order to save the crop.

Gyanendra Singh, director of the Karnal-based Indian Institute of Wheat and Barley Research and a member of the agriculture ministry's wheat crop monitoring committee, stated last week that wheat crop condition is currently robust and harvesting of early sown varieties has begun.

The government has forecast a record wheat harvest of 112.18 million tonnes for the current crop year (2022-23). (MT). The total area under wheat crop has increased by only 0.13 million hectares (MH) from the previous crop year to 34.32 MH in the current crop year.

Despite forecasting a record wheat output in 2021-22, on (July-June), the standing crop was harmed by an excessive wheat wave in the middle of March last year, just before harvesting season, resulting in shrivelled grain.

The wheat production in the 2021-22 crop year (July-June) had declined marginally to 107.7 MT from 109.6 MT in the previous year. However, trade sources estimate wheat production to be between 96 and 99 MT.

Meanwhile, the India Meteorological Department forecasted light to moderate rainfall, thunderstorms, and hail storms over Maharashtra, Telangana, Chhattisgarh, Jharkhand, and Madhya Pradesh in the next two days, citing the development of a western disturbance.

The met department has advised farmers to harvest matured mustard, chickpeas, and vegetables in north, west, and central India, wheat, mustard, and pulses in Madhya Pradesh, and wheat, pulses, and grapes in Maharashtra as soon as possible and store them in safe places.

PTI

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