No concern over wheat output as less chance of terminal heat condition till March 16: IARI

New Delhi: The government’s research body IARI on Thursday said there is no cause of concern over wheat production as there is “less likelihood” of terminal heat condition till March 16.

Addressing a press conference, Indian Agricultural Research Institute (IARI) Director A K Singh said there is no reason to worry based on the temperature forecast so far. The institute has weather forecast for 30 days. India’s wheat production fell 107.74 million tonnes in 2021-22 crop year (July-June) from 109.59 million tonnes in the previous year due to heatwave in some key producing states. Wheat, a major rabi (winter) crop, would be ready for harvest next month.

“Though February has been warmer, mainly on account of dry weather due to lack of moisture usually brought by western disturbances induced rains, but as wheat remains in the anthesis to flowering stages during the period so no adverse impact is expected on wheat,” Singh said.

Recently, the Centre has set up a committee to assess the possible impact of rising temperatures on wheat crops and issue necessary advisories to the farmers. “Given the maximum and minimum temperature forecasts for March, when the wheat is in grain filing stage, there is less likelihood of terminal heat conditions till March 16 as daily mean temperature are not expected to cross 32 degree celsius,” he said.

On Wednesday, Singh had told PTI that the situation is not alarming right now even as he advised farmers to be ready to take contingent measures like light irrigation in case of temperature soars beyond 35-degree celsius in mid-March.

As the Met office has forecast rising temperatures in parts of the country, farmers are worried about a repeat of last year when the heatwave had hit the crop yields.

“The IMD (India Meteorological Department) has forecast that temperature would remain 2-degree celsius above normal but below 35-degree celsius till the first fortnight of March. A below 35-degree celsius temperature is not a concern for the wheat crop,” Singh had said.

India is set to harvest a record 112.18 million tonnes of wheat in the 2022-23 crop year (July-June) as per the second estimate released by the agriculture ministry.

The Centre had banned wheat exports in May last year to control rising prices, after a slight fall in domestic production and a sharp decline in the FCI’s procurement for the central pool. The government has started selling 50 lakh tonnes of wheat in the open market from its buffer stocks to control prices of wheat and wheat flour (atta).

“The condition of timely and even late sown wheat crop is good as of now. There is no cause for concern right now,” Rajbir Yadav, Principal Scientist and wheat breeder at IARI, said on Wednesday. If the temperature remains around the range of 31-32 degrees celsius in mid-March, farmers can continue with their routine farm operations. The only intervention the farmers can do when the temperature crosses 35 degrees celsius somewhere in mid-March then as a precaution should apply irrigation two days in advance, he had said.