January 10, 2007

Cold weather seen to benefit India's wheat crop

Extreme cold weather in northern India so far this month is beneficial for the developing wheat crop, an Indian government meteorologist told Dow Jones Newswires Tuesday (Jan 9).

"The cold wave conditions and onset of frost in many wheat growing areas actually helps boost the wheat crop's yield," said A.B. Majumdar, meteorological scientist at the government-run India Meteorological Department.

India's wheat growing northern provinces, such as Punjab, Haryana and Uttar Pradesh, have been experiencing severe cold, with temperatures dipping to minus 1 degrees Celsius in Amritsar, a major city in Punjab.

However, January is likely to be the coldest month of the current winter season that began in December, and temperatures may become relatively warmer from next month, Majumdar said.

India's wheat plantings in the Oct 1-Jan 5 period are estimated at 27.5 million hectares, up from 25.8 million hectares in the year-earlier period, according to the latest government data.

The plantings of wheat so far have already surpassed last year's total of 26.6 million hectares, and is one of the highest on record.

Harvesting of wheat will begin in late-February.