Centre Forms Committee To Monitor Effects of Rising Temperature on Wheat

On Monday, the government announced the formation of a committee to monitor the impact of rising temperatures on the wheat crop.

The move comes as the National Crop Forecast Centre (NCFC) predicts that maximum temperatures in major wheat-producing areas, with the exception of Madhya Pradesh, were higher than average over the last seven years during the first week of February.

The Met Department has forecasted above-normal temperatures in Gujarat, Jammu and Kashmir, Himachal Pradesh, and Uttarakhand over the next two days.

"We have set up a committee to monitor the situation arising due to the increase in temperature on the wheat crop," Agriculture Secretary Manoj Ahuja told the media.

According to him, the committee will issue advisories to farmers on how to implement micro irrigation.

The Agriculture Commissioner will chair the committee, which will also include members of the Karnal-based Wheat Research Institute and representatives from major wheat-growing states, he said.

There won't be any impact  of the rise in temperature on the sown crops, indeed heat-resistant crops have been sown by the farmers this time in large areas said the agriculture secretary.

Also, it is expected Wheat production will hit a record 112.18 million tonnes in 2022- 23. Scientists and traders predict 'good weather conditions,' which will be another factor in large-scale wheat production. Because of the increased output, India, is the world's second-largest wheat producer. But Wheat production declined drastically to 107.74 million tonnes in past years, due to heat conditions in some countries. Wheat is a major rabi crop, harvesting of which has started in some countries.