“This has been a peculiar year as there has been a lot of volatility in temperature in the month of February, which is usually considered a stable month,” he said.
Sharma said if the variation in mercury levels continue, it could touch even 40 degree Celsius in March in some eastern and northern parts of India, causing damage to wheat crop.
Last year, India’s wheat output had fallen to 106.84 million tonnes from 109.59 mt in 2021 due to a severe heat wave, while procurement fell to 18.79 mt in the 2022-23 marketing year amid high market prices from 43.44 mt in 2021-22.
Wheat is mainly grown in Uttar Pradesh, Haryana, Punjab, Maharashtra, Bihar, Madhya Pradesh, and Chhattisgarh. The crop is planted in October and November, and harvests mostly take place during April and May.
India has been expecting bumper wheat production this year.
In its second advance estimate, the agriculture ministry earlier this week projected record wheat production of 112.18 million tonnes this season, up 5% from last year.Area under wheat cultivation has increased marginally by 0.37% to 34.18 million hectare (ha) as of January 27 against 34.06 million ha in the year-ago period.
In January, Gyanendra Singh, director of Indian Institute of Wheat and Barley Research under Indian Council of Agricultural Research (ICAR-IIWBR), had told ET that India’s winter wheat crop is in “exceptionally” good condition, even though rainfall during the month hit a five-year low at 12.4 mm, taking the deficit to 25%.
He had also said wheat farmers have used new seeds with better tolerance to heat and having high yielding in nature. The new varieties include DBW 187, DBW 303, DBW 222, DBW 327, and DBW 332.
