India faces hotter, drier February, threatening winter crops

MUMBAI – India will be warmer and drier in February after an unusually warm January, raising risks for key winter-sown crops such as wheat, rapeseed and chickpeas.

The country’s north-western wheat-growing region is likely to receive less than 78 per cent of its long-term average rainfall, Dr Mrutyunjay Mohapatra, director-general of the India Meteorological Department, said on Jan 31.

Maximum and minimum temperatures in most parts of India will be above average in February, he said.

Crops such as wheat and barley could suffer yield losses, as higher-than-normal temperatures may accelerate crop growth and shorten the growing period, he said.

“Below-normal cold-wave days are likely over several parts of north-west and adjoining central India,” he said.

India’s Punjab, Haryana and Uttar Pradesh states in the north, along with Madhya Pradesh in central India, form the country’s top wheat-growing regions.

Winter-sown crops such as wheat, rapeseed and chickpeas are planted from October to December and require cold conditions during their growth and maturity stages for optimal yields.

In January, minimum and maximum temperatures were above average as the country received 31.5 per cent lower-than-average rainfall, Dr Mohapatra said.

Indian farmers had planted wheat and rapeseed on a record 33.42 million ha and 8.94 million ha, respectively, by Jan 23, Farm Ministry data showed.

“February is a crucial month for grain development. A sharp rise in temperatures during this period would lead to lower yields and could wipe out the gains from higher planting,” said a Mumbai-based dealer with a global trade house.

Any drop in the rapeseed crop could force India, the world’s biggest vegetable-oil importer, to step up its cooking-oil imports, dealers said.

India buys palm oil mainly from Indonesia, Malaysia and Thailand, while it imports soya bean oil and sunflower oil from Argentina, Brazil, Russia and Ukraine. REUTERS