Bhubaneswar: IMD forecast of above-normal temperatures and heat wave days during the March– May period raise concerns among agriculture policymakers.
The harvesting of major rabi crops, such as wheat, will start in mid-March in Punjab and Haryana.
India has been witnessing a crisis in wheat production for the past three years, so wheat prices have been soaring.
In February, wheat grains were at the pod-filling stage, needing a minimum or low temperature to help the grains take robust shape. Such temperatures at this stage would increase production. Experts say the hot February would have shrivelled the grains.
Scientists at the Indian Institute of Wheat and Barley Research (IIWBR), Karnal, point out that the March temperatures would be crucial.
