The latest spell of unseasonal rains in North India is set to delay the harvest of wheat in the key producing States of Punjab and Haryana, among others.
Besides, it has raised the prospect of triggering fungal diseases, such as black point, which could affect quality. “This rain is not good for [the] wheat crop. It could trigger black point infection in the grain and impact on quality,” said Indu Sharma, Director of Karnal-based Indian Institute for Wheat and Barley Research.
Though there has been no outbreak of disease reported so far, Sharma said the symptoms of black point infection will be known only after the harvest. The black point-affected wheat grain typically turns dark at the embryo end of the grain, resulting in discolouration.
Sharma said the wheat crop which witnessed lodging due to rains in recent weeks will more likely posses fungal infection. Also, the harvest will be delayed by a week or more, she added.
“We were initially expecting the harvest to commence around April 15. But as a result of these rains and cloudy weather, the harvest will now commence only after April 20,” Sharma said.
She suggested the farmers wait for the crop to dry before commencing the harvest.
“The farmers should not harvest in panic. It’s better they wait for the crop to dry or else there will be more losses,” Sharma said. Large parts of the wheat growing areas in Punjab and Haryana have come under fresh rains, caused mainly by a western disturbance.
According to Sharma, the crop losses due to this would be between 5 to 7 per cent. In its second advance estimates, the Centre said wheat production could be 95.76 million tonnes for the 2014-15 season, almost the same as last year.
But the rains, coupled with hailstorms in recent weeks, have damaged the wheat crop in Uttar Pradesh, Rajasthan, Punjab, Haryana, Madhya Pradesh, Himachal Pradesh among others.
Wheat stocks in the Central pool as on March 1 stood at 19.52 million tonnes, more than twice the buffer and strategic reserve norm for the period.
The Government plans to procure nearly 30 million tonnes of wheat during the current 2015-16 marketing season starting April.
As against a target of 31 million tonnes for 2014-15, the Centre had actually procured 28 mt.