Farmers across Punjab are anxious as day and night temperatures have risen in recent days, potentially lowering wheat yields this season.
Furthermore, some farmers said that their power supply was unreliable and inadequate.
It’s worth noting that at this stage in the crop cycle, the wheat must be irrigated.
Wheat harvesting generally starts around Baisakhi in mid-April, however due to the warmer weather, wheat grains mature faster, resulting in a lesser yield.
Farmers were expecting a good crop until a few days ago because the weather was favorable.
It was predicted that the temperature in March would be normal.
A farmer named Avtar Singh stated, “Wheat crops require water due to a sudden increase in temperature, but the power utility is unable to provide the sufficient and consistent electricity to run the tube wells. In this regard, we recently blocked Fazilka-Delhi Road in Lambi. The wheat harvest will be affected if the weather remains the same.”
Gurpreet Singh, Muktsar’s Chief Agriculture Officer, said, “The temperature has suddenly risen, which is bad news for the wheat crop. It has the potential to reduce wheat grain weight and production. There’s no need to be concerned if the weather changes in the coming days.”
According to him, the optimum temperature for the wheat crop at this stage ranges from 11 to 28 degrees Celsius, while temperatures have ranged from 20 to 33 degrees Celsius.
Last year, the average wheat output in the state was 48.68 quintal per hectare.