Too early to predict any damage to wheat crop because of heat stress: Tomar

Union Agriculture Minister Narendra Singh Tomar on Tuesday said that it is too early to predict any damage to the wheat crop due to heat stress in February.

"In the month of February 2023, though the maximum temperature was hovering around 32-33°C in most of the northern plains, it did not impact the wheat grain growth since the crop canopy temperature can be easily modulated by 2-3°C less than the air temperature by irrigation," the Minister said in Parliament in his written reply.

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"In the current scenario, it is too early to predict any damage to the wheat crop due to heat stress," Tomar said.

The government has projected a record wheat output of 112.2 million tonnes for the 2022-23 crop year (July-June). Wheat exports were banned in May last year to control rising prices of wheat and wheat flour (atta). Wheat is the main rabi crop, harvesting of which has started in some parts of the country.

He said during the March 16-22 period scattered to fairly widespread light /moderate rainfall has been received over Punjab, Haryana, Delhi, Uttar Pradesh and Rajasthan due to which the maximum temperatures were near normal or below normal over these parts."

Due to recent unseasonal rain and hailstorms have caused significant damage to wheat crops in pockets of Punjab, Haryana and Rajastshan at the harvest stage, sources in the Agriculture Ministry said. The Ministry is collecting data from wheat growing states and is in the process to estimate the actual losses, said the official.