Record rise in mercury led to shrivelling of grain, says PAU

Manav Mander

Ludhiana, May 5

Wheat arrival in mandis this year dropped drastically and the government failed to achieve its target of procurement. Farmers have attributed the decline in yield to unprecedented hot temperature in the state. The average temperature recorded this year in Ludhiana district was the highest since 1970 (the year when Punjab Agricultural University started maintaining the record of temperature and rainfall).

The early onset of the heatwave led to shrivelling of the grain. Consequently, the arrival of wheat in the mandis remained low. Dr Pavneet Kaur Kingra, head, Department of Climate Change and Agricultural Meteorology, PAU, said: “March was the hottest month in Ludhiana district in the past 52 years. The minimum temperature this year rose by 3.9°C while the maximum normal temperature increased by 4.1°C.”

Dr Kingra further said the temperature was high both during day and night which adversely affected the wheat crop. The maturity of the grain is enhanced due to high temperature, which leads to shrivelling. “Heat wave was intense in March and the temperature experienced was higher than normal, adversely affecting the crop produce,” she said.

Meanwhile, farmer leader Balbir Singh Rajewal said: “When the grain was about to mature, the temperature increased drastically. The central team observed that the grain across the state shrivelled by 10 to 20 per cent.”

He claimed this year 40 lakh tonne less wheat arrived in the mandis, which would lead to a loss of Rs 9,000 crore.

Sutantar Singh, a farmer from Akalgarh village, said: “I am under a huge debt. I was looking forward for a good produce, but the God had some other plans.”

A farmer in Bardhala village near Machhiwara said a majority of farmers had a hand-to-mouth existence. They wait for the procurement season to meet their expenses. “The talk about farmers holding back their produce due to the ongoing conflict between Russia and Ukraine is far from truth. A majority of farmers don’t have the capacity to store the grain,” he said.

Significant increase

According to PAU, the normal minimum temperature in Ludhiana this year was 15.9°C, which was 3.9°C more than the average minimum temperature in previous years. Meanwhile, maximum normal temperature was 30.8°C, an increase of 4.1°C over the previous year’s normal.