Amid skyrocketing inflation, the scorching heat has given a big blow to the wheat production front. This year the country has witnessed the lowest wheat production in 20 years. Punjab, Haryana, and Uttar Pradesh have the highest production of wheat, but these states also experienced the wrath of heat. According to official post-harvest data released, these three states have recorded the biggest decline in wheat production in two decades.
In fact, in March itself, the temperature reached more than 40 degrees Celsius in many states. Due to this, the color of the stalks of wheat ripened in Punjab changed from golden yellow to brown, indicating crop failure. This loss is even bigger than in 2010 and 2019. In 2010 too, like this year, the country was in the grip of severe heat and heat waves, which affected wheat production.
Although the heat and heat waves were less in 2019, the crop was damaged. Experts say the weather strikes on staple crops like wheat indicate a risk to long-term food security. Wheat-growing areas may be affected geographically. If no measures are taken soon, the heat will increase further.
With low yields in these states, debt will increase among farmers
Punjab: Wheat yield per hectare has come down by 20 percent to 43 quintals. This is more than a drop of 8 percent in 2010. Bathinda and Mansa saw a maximum decline of 30 percent. Due to low yield, farmers have suffered a loss of Rs 12,000-15,000 per quintal, due to which the farmers are seen to be trapped in the quagmire of debt.
Uttar Pradesh: Like Punjab, the crop yield in this big producing state has also declined by 18 percent.
Haryana: Wheat production has seen a huge drop of 19 percent due to scorching heat.
Due to lower yields in all three states, the Agriculture Ministry has reduced the production estimate by 5 percent to 106.4 million tonnes from the initial estimate of 111.3 million tonnes. The actual figure maybe even less.
Production expected to drop by 52 percent
According to a 2016 government report on the impact of climate change on agriculture, an increase of 2.5 to 4.9 percent degrees Celsius in temperature could result in a 41 to 52 percent drop in wheat yields. Recent research has revealed that the Gangetic plains in India have the highest wheat production in the world. The effect of heat will be visible in these areas as well.
The Center for International Climate Research in Oslo, Norway, published in June 2021, said that the Gangetic plains in India are having direct and indirect effects of climate change. Wheat production is expected to decline by between 1-8 percent due to direct impact and 4 to 36 percent due to indirect impact.
30% more water consumption
GP Singh, head of the Indian Institute of Wheat and Barley Research, Karnal, Haryana, says that wheat production has come down due to extreme temperatures, but it is not so fast. He said that wheat production has been 109 million tonnes. Meanwhile, the agriculture sector is going to need more resources due to the ever-increasing temperature. According to a study by the Indian Council of Agricultural Research, in states such as Andhra Pradesh, Punjab, and Rajasthan, agriculture consumes 30 percent more water due to 'high evaporative demand'.
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