IT will be warmer and drier this month after an unusually warm January, the weather office in Mumbai said, raising risks for key winter-sown crops such as wheat, rapeseed and chickpeas.
The country’s north-western wheat-growing region is likely to receive less than 78% of its long-term average rainfall, Mrutyunjay Mohapatra, director-general of the India Meteorological Department, said on Saturday.
Maximum and minimum temperatures in most parts of the country will be above average this month, he said.
Crops such as wheat and barley could suffer yield losses, as higher-than-normal temperatures may accelerate crop growth and shorten the growing period, he said.
“Below-normal cold-wave days are likely over several parts of north-west and adjoining central India,” he said.
India’s Punjab, Haryana, and Uttar Pradesh states in the north, along with Madhya Pradesh in central India, form the country’s top wheat-growing regions.
Winter-sown crops such as wheat, rapeseed, and chickpeas are planted from October to December and require cold conditions during their growth and maturity stages for optimal yields.
Indian farmers had planted wheat and rapeseed on a record 33.42 million hectares and 8.94 million hectares, respectively, by January, farm ministry data showed.
“February is a crucial month for grain development. A sharp rise in temperatures during this period would lead to lower yields and could wipe out the gains from higher planting,” said a Mumbai-based dealer with a global trade house. — Reuters
