Low rainfall in Jan-March may hit rabi crop yields

IMD PREDICTS ABOVE-NORMAL TEMPERATURE IN NORTH INDIA TOO

- SANDIP DAS

IF THE MET department's forecast of a below-normal rainfall and above-normal temperature during January-March, especially in the northern states, turns true, yields of several winter crops including wheat, mustard, chana and horticultural crops could be hit, experts said.

As seen in the last few years, extreme weather events would adversely impact the crop yields, especially as such incidents occur prior to harvesting of the crop," P K Joshi, agricultural economist and member, Supreme Court-formed panel on farm laws, told FE.

Joshi stated that to mitigate impact of higher temperature or surplus rainfall, there is a need to go for inter-cropping to protect the soil as well as ensure yield losses because weather events compensate by increase in yields of other crops.