LUCKNOW: The early heat wave has impacted the Rabi crop in the state this year with production of wheat taking a hit, Food Corporation of India officials informed Union minister of state for food and public distribution Sadhvi Niranjan Jyoti who was reviewing the status of wheat procurement in Lucknow on Monday.
Though it was common to harvest wheat till April, the heat wave this year compelled farmers to reap it early. “Normally, a farmer gets up to 8 quintals of wheat from one bigha land. But this time, getting 3 quintal was difficult,” said Sadhvi.
Agriculture experts said extreme heat reduces grain size and numbers. “Wheat production is going to be less this year. In March and April, temperatures have remained four to five degrees Celsius above the normal and that has affected the crop,” said R Lal, a retired professor of Ayodhya-based agricultural university.
Besides, the government had increased the minimum support price of wheat to Rs 2,015 per quintal, but farmers are being offered Rs 2,050 to Rs 21,00 in the open market.
Sadhvi said higher price than MSP is good and farmers are free to sell their crop in the open market. The wheat procurement target had been set at 60 lakh tonne for the season but FCI has so far bought only 0.86 lakh tonne. Last year, FCI had bought 56.21 lakh tonne in UP and paid Rs 11,141 crore to farmers.
FCI general manager Rajat Sharma said, “We made all arrangements for procurement of wheat at 6,000 centres in the state. The market is driven by demand and supply dynamics, and we are taking steps to increase our procurement.”
Meanwhile, the demand for wheat has gone up due to Russia-Ukraine conflict and bulk buyers are offering good rates to farmers. Ramendra Singh, a farmer from Bhagwatipur village in Itaunja, said, “Middlemen are coming to buy wheat at our doorstep. They are offering Rs 1,950 for a quintal. It is the most convenient option.”
