Ahead of the start of the harvest for plants that have already experienced some heat stress, industry, and meteorological department officials warned that untimely rains and hailstorms could harm India’s important winter-sown crops including wheat, rapeseed, and chickpeas. The central, northern, and western areas of India, which are important growth regions, have been cautioned by the weather service that the next ten days may bring additional rain and hailstorms. Inflation in food prices, which the government and central bank have been attempting to limit, could increase as a result of production being reduced.
While decreasing rapeseed production may require the world’s largest buyer of edible oils to increase imports of palm oil, soy oil, and sunflower oil, a decline in wheat production could make it difficult for New Delhi to refill supplies. “Because winter crop harvesting has only begun, rain and hailstorms are causing anxiety. Standing crops would be impacted, and the yield would be hampered as well “said Harish Galipelli, director of ILA Commodities India Pvt Ltd. Wheat, rapeseed, and chickpeas are typically planted in October and November, and harvested beginning in late February.
In the coming days, states including Rajasthan, Madhya Pradesh, Uttar Pradesh, Punjab, Haryana, and Maharashtra may experience hailstorms and wind gusts that exceed 30 kph, according to the India Meteorological Department (IMD). According to farmer Ramrai Bohara of Rajasthan, the state that produces the most rapeseed, crops that were sowed in the winter have already experienced stress from above-average temperatures and early maturation.
The maximum temperature in several wheat-producing areas went above 39 degrees Celsius earlier this month, approximately seven degrees Celsius above usual, according to weather department data. “Over the next two to three weeks, we don’t want any rain or strong winds. Crops would deteriorate, making harvesting challenging “Bohara remarked. A dealer from a multinational trading business in Mumbai claimed that rain will not only lower yields but also have the potential to lower the quality of the produce.
