New Delhi: The Union government on Wednesday said it expected record wheat output, despite predictions of crop-damaging heat in March, following a key stock-taking meeting with state food departments, people familiar with the matter said.
At the Centre-states conference on Wednesday, chaired by food minister Piyush Goyal, the Union government urged states to keep a vigil on food stocks to control prices and prepare for bigger procurement operations to buy the staple from farmers at federally fixed minimum support prices.
Major states apprised the Union food ministry on the current crop scenario and there are no reports of damage to wheat so far, said an official, requesting anonymity.
India is watching out for extreme weather as both the state-run India Meteorological Department (IMD) and private forecasters have predicted high chances of heatwaves this month through May that could roil the farm economy amid rising prices of staples such as rice and wheat.
“There has been no damage to wheat so far. Farmers have planted substantial area under heat-resistant varieties, according to reports from states,” the official said.
Last year, a disastrous hot spell in March, when temperatures leapt to record highs, crippled wheat yields as output shrank 2.5% in the world’s second-largest producer, stoking a crisis-like situation. The Ukraine war and the resulting global wheat shortage resulted in a spike in the price of the cereal. The country, which banned export in May, has officially forecast the highest-ever wheat harvests of 112 million tonnes this year.
Sown in November and harvested in March, wheat is key to farm incomes in a country where agriculture is still the largest source of employment.
According to inputs provided by states at the meeting, unlike last year, wind speeds in northwestern wheat-growing states such as Punjab and Haryana are stable, making it possible for “protective” or precautionary irrigation to maintain crop health. If winds are strong, irrigated crops face risk of crumbling. Predictions of normal rainfall will also offset damage from a rise in temperatures, the official cited above said.
Yet, analysts say the next couple of weeks are crucial and spikes in temperature could hurt yields. The national weather bureau on Tuesday said there was a high probability of above-normal maximum temperatures over most parts of the country in March, April and May, warning of heatwaves.
The number of states facing frequent heatwaves has doubled to 20 since 2020, according to official data, pointing to impacts of climate change.
