Four districts in three States — Punjab, Bihar and Uttar Pradesh — are likely to lose 10-15 per cent of their wheat production due to unseasonal rainfall, according to a preliminary report by private agency Agriwatch. The agency was commissioned by the Roller Flour Millers’ Federation of India. On the other hand, 5-10 per cent crop damage has been reported from as many as 21 districts in five States.
The overall yield loss in wheat at the pan-India level could be 1-1.5 per cent, sources said, adding the loss may be 2–3 per cent in highly affected States. The government has estimated India’s wheat production this year to touch a record 120.21 million tonnes.
According to the India Meteorological Department, unseasonal rains along with sporadic hailstorms were observed during March 11-22 in many districts of wheat-growing Punjab, Haryana, Uttar Pradesh, Bihar, Rajasthan and Madhya Pradesh. Though some damage to the wheat crop has been reported from West Bengal and Gujarat, those were negligible, sources said.
