India's Winter Crops Face Damaging Rains & Hailstorms; Threatening Food Production & Inflation

Industry and weather department officials said that the untimely rains and hailstorms can damage India’s key winter-sown crops such as chickpeas, wheat, and rapeseed just before the harvesting begins for plants that have already suffered some heat stress.

According to India’s Weather Department, in the next 10 days, the key farming states in northern, central, and western regions could receive more rain and hailstorms which will further curtail production and lift food inflation which the central bank and government have been trying to contain.

A drop in wheat production could make it difficult for New Delhi to renew stock, while the lower rapeseed output can force the world’s biggest edible oil buyers to expand the imports of soy oil, palm oil, and sunflower oil.

Harish Galipelli, Director at ILA Commodities India Pvt Ltd. said, “Since the harvesting of the winter crops has just started, rainfall and hailstorms are raising concerns. The standing crops would be affected which can lead to reduced outputs.”

From October to November, farmers usually start sowing rapeseed, wheat, and chickpeas and harvest them from the end of February.

According to the Indian Meteorological Department, gusts and hailstorms more than 30 kilometers per hour could hit states like Rajasthan, Madhya Pradesh, Punjab, Haryana, Uttar Pradesh, and Maharashtra in the next few days.

Due to the above-normal temperatures and early maturation, the winter-sown crops have already been under stress said a farmer from Rajasthan which is the biggest rapeseed-producing state.

According to the weather department data, earlier this month, the maximum temperature in some wheat-growing areas jumped above 39 degrees celsius which is nearly seven degrees celsius above normal.

Farmers have also said that they don’t want windy weather and rainfall for around two to three weeks as crops would fall and it would be difficult to harvest them.

In addition to this, a Mumbai-based dealer with a global trading house said that rainfall would not only reduce yields but can also negatively affect the quality of the harvest.