Wheat production in the country is expected to take a fall this year. As per reports, a decline of up to 2% may be recorded in the current crop year. The decline is being attributed to unseasonal rain in February-March this year.
As of now, wheat crop is in a matured stage and the ongoing spell of rain in primary grain growing states is deemed to be extremely bad for the standing crop. Rain in states like Punjab and Haryana will lead to an increase in the moisture level which will in turn affect the quality of the grain. This will also cause a delay of about 10 to 15 days in harvesting.
Unusual rain and hailstorms between February-end and March have caused enough damage already. Wheat production has suffered a damage of over 62 lakh hectares so far. But authorities have pinned their hope on late-sown wheat which may provide a better output. About 15% of the total wheat sown area (which is around 28 million hectares) is sown late. This may help push production in the current crop year at par with previous year’s output level.
The only real cause of concern remains regarding the quality of the grains. Increased moisture levels cause a black point in grain along with discoloration and lack of luster. Stagnation of water will only worsen the situation. In addition to this, a delay in harvesting is quite possible in states like Punjab, Haryana, and western Uttar Pradesh. Usually, wheat is harvested in these states from April 15 onwards.
