The condition of wheat crops, which will be harvested in the next 3-4 weeks in Punjab, Haryana, Uttar Pradesh, Rajasthan and Madhya Pradesh, has been robust so far and has not been materially impacted by the “above-normal temperatures” that prevailed in the last few weeks, according to official sources.
“Crop condition of wheat is currently robust and harvesting of early sown varieties have commenced in Gujarat, Maharashtra and Madhya Pradesh,” Gyanendra Singh, director, Indian Institute of Wheat and Barley Research, a Karnal based institute, also member of committee set up by agriculture for monitoring of wheat crop, told FE.
Singh also said that so far no major incidence of yellow rust has been reported in the standing wheat crops.
Also read: Explainer: The 4G-5G technology stack
The agriculture ministry which set up the committee to monitor wheat crop in its first meeting held earlier this month had stated that ‘the wheat crop condition was normal’ in all major wheat growing states.
Meanwhile, Mukesh Khatod, a trader from Chittorgarh mandi, Rajasthan said that wheat will start arriving in the mandis in large quantities from the third week of this month in Madhya Pradesh, Gujarat and Rajasthan. By early next month, harvesting will commence in Punjab, Haryana, Rajasthan and Uttar Pradesh.
Recently, Ranjikant Rai, divisional chief executive of ITC agri-business, one of the largest private purchasers of grains said that there had not been any visible impact on wheat crops because of above normal temperature prevailing in the last few weeks.
The India Meteorological Department (IMD) last month had predicted predicted ‘normal to below normal’ maximum temperatures during March-May period over most part of the country.
For the current crop year (2022-23), the government has estimated a record wheat harvest of 112.18 million tonne (MT). Total area under with wheat crop has risen by only 0.13 million hectare (mh) to 34.32 mh in current crop year from the year-ago period
Harvesting of crops begins in Madhya Pradesh in the third week of March while in Punjab and Haryana harvesting commences from April 1.
According to an agriculture ministry official, spike in temperature would not have any impact on early-sown varieties of wheat and heat resistant varieties such as DBW187, DBW 303 and DBW 222 have been sown in large areas.
Despite anticipating a record output of wheat in the 2021-22 season (July-June), the standing crop was adversely impacted because of excessive wheat wave in the middle of March last year just prior to harvesting season which resulted in shriveled grain.
Also read: ITR Filing: How to set off capital losses to reduce your tax liability
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. Trade sources however pegged the wheat production at around 99 MT.
Meanwhile, the IMD on Thursday predicted development of a fresh western disturbance which is expected to bring in light rainfall activity over Uttarakhand, south Uttar Pradesh, northeast Rajasthan and North Madhya Pradesh.