Cold conditions may aid wheat, oilseeds & pulse

AHMEDABAD: Cold weather conditions across northern and central India are expected to be beneficial for wheat, gram and mustard crops. However, ground frost conditions in many parts of the country could harm potato and other horticulture crops. The meteorological department has forecasted that cold wave conditions would prevail over parts of Punjab, Haryana, north Rajasthan and Uttar Pradesh and some parts of Bihar and Jharkhand.

The wheat crop is in the tillering stage and the present weather would help in its growth period. "If the cold weather condition carries on till January 15 and beyond with no ground frost conditions, we can easily touch a production of 86 million tonne," said Dr Indu Sharma, head, Directorate of Wheat Research in Karnal. Usually, severe frost-like conditions occur in the first few days of January. Sharma said that over 80% of wheat sowing (265.5 lakh hectare) has been completed across India till date.

Low temperature in the past week has helped mustard and other oilseed crops. "The temperature is conducive for the crop which is in flowering stage. However, we expect the oil content to be less owing to delayed winter and rains across Rajasthan, Uttar Pradesh and Madhya Pradesh," said Rajesh Bheda, chairman, Indian Oilseeds & Produce Export Promotion Council. The area under oilseeds was at 77.91 lakh hectare till December 23 against 83.11 lakh hectare in the corresponding period of 2010.

Similarly, low temperature is beneficial for pulses, particularly the gram which is in the flowering and grain-filling stage. Pulses have been sown on 134.18 lakh hectare as against 135.21 lakh hectare last year.