Above Normal Temperature Forecast In West & North India, Govt Panel To Monitor Impact On Wheat Crop

The government announced the formation of a commission to study the impact of rising temperatures on the wheat harvest.

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The government on Monday announced the formation of a committee to study the impact of rising temperatures on the wheat crop, news agency PTI. 

Govt sets up committee to monitor impact of rise in temperature on wheat crop: Agriculture Secretary Manoj Ahuja

— Press Trust of India (@PTI_News) February 20, 2023

The move comes as the National Crop Forecast Centre (NCFC) predicts that maximum temperatures in major wheat-producing districts, with the exception of Madhya Pradesh, were higher than average over the last seven years during the first week of February.

The Met Department has forecasted above-normal temperatures across Gujarat, Jammu and Kashmir, Himachal Pradesh, and Uttarakhand during the next two days.

"We have set up a committee to monitor the situation arising due to the increase in temperature on the wheat crop," Agriculture Secretary Manoj Ahuja said. According to him, the group would offer instructions to farmers on how to implement micro irrigation, PTI reported. 

According to the report, the Agricultural Commissioner will chair the committee, which would also include members of the Karnal-based Wheat Research Institute and delegates from major wheat-growing states, he said.

The Secretary, on the other hand, stated that the spike in temperature will have no effect on early-sown varieties and that heat-resistant kinds had been sown in wide areas this time, the report said. 

Wheat production is expected to reach a new high of 112.18 million tonnes in the 2022-23 crop year (July-June).

Wheat production fell slightly to 107.74 million tonnes the previous year due to heat waves in various areas.

Wheat is an important rabi crop, with harvesting beginning in several states.

The Indian Institute of Wheat & Barley Research (IIWBR) has warned that high air temperatures this month could harm the wheat harvest. In a Friday advisory, the institute that runs under the Indian Council of Agricultural Research (ICAR-IIWBR) urged farmers to monitor their wheat crops for yellow rust disease on a frequent basis.

(With Inputs From PTI)