Wheat, mustard, chana output likely to be hit by unseasonal rain

The unexpected heavy rainfall across the northern parts of the country in the past couple of days has impacted key rabi crops such as wheat, mustard and chana (chikpea) and may trim the output of the commodities.

"The rains coupled with high winds have hit the standing wheat crop, which has fallen flat in many places in Punjab and Haryana and other northern states. Water logging has been reported in many areas of these states," said Indu Sharma, Director of the Karnal-based Indian Institute of Wheat and Barley Reserach.

Sharma said stagnation of water in the fields is seen as much more harmful and should be drained immediately. Though part of the crop that has fallen flat could be recovered, the grain may suffer damage, she added. However, it is too early to quantify the crop loss, Sharma added.

Wheat is in the grain formation stage in North India, while harvest has already commenced in Maharashtra and Gujarat. Wheat has been planted in 303.23 lakh hectares this year, marginally lower than the 304.73 lakh ha in the corresponding period last year.  The Government, in its second advance estimates, has projected that wheat output could be 95.76 million tonnes during the 2014-15 season, almost the same as that of last year.

Similarly, the rains have also damaged the prospects of the ready-to-harvest mustard and chana. "The recent rains are proving to be bad for the crop, which is ready to harvest. A clearer picture on the crop loss would emerge in about a week’s time," said Umesh Verma, spokesperson for Puri Oil Mills, a large North-based mustard oil producer.

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