Despite bone-chilling cold and a prolonged dry spell, agriculture experts remain optimistic about the health of the wheat crop in Haryana and expect an increase in production this season.
Over the past 15 days, the state has witnessed a sharp drop in minimum temperatures, falling 3–4°C below normal. According to the India Meteorological Department (IMD) Chandigarh centre, Haryana recorded no rainfall in December, in contrast to 26.1 mm of rain during the same period last year. IMD archives show that a similar dry spell was last observed in 2022 and 2005.
So far this month, the state has received just 0.7 mm of rainfall against the normal average of 5.5 mm, the weather department said in its weekly bulletin.
However, experts say the prevailing weather conditions have not adversely affected the crop. ICAR–Indian Institute of Wheat and Barley Research (IIWBR) Director Ratan Tiwari said the wheat crop is in excellent condition despite the intense cold.
“The temperature is quite low in most wheat-growing states, due to which dew remains on the crop and provides essential moisture. Our teams have inspected fields across several states and have not found any negative impact on the crop so far,” Tiwari said, adding that no disease incidence has been reported.
Addressing concerns over the lack of rainfall, he said rain could be beneficial but its absence has not affected crop health or yield prospects. “In fact, foggy and cold weather conditions have reduced the need for irrigation, easing the burden on farmers. There is a forecast of rain in the region, which will be helpful,” he added.
Tiwari also noted that the area under wheat cultivation in the country has crossed 33.4 million hectares. The Centre has set a production target of 119 million tonnes for the current season.
In Haryana, Sirsa continues to be the largest wheat-growing district, while Panchkula has the lowest acreage under the crop.
Hisar records lowest temp at 0.2°C
Haryana continued to reel under intense cold on Thursday, with temperatures in several areas dropping to near-freezing levels. Hisar recorded the lowest minimum temperature at 0.2°C, down from 0.5°C a day earlier.
Minimum temperatures at all weather stations across the state remained below 5°C, except Gurugram, which recorded 5.3°C. Districts including Ambala, Kurukshetra, Karnal, Kaithal, Fatehabad, Jind and Hisar were placed under a ‘red alert’ for cold day and fog conditions, while an ‘orange alert’ was issued for other areas. The IMD has also issued an orange alert for four districts of north Haryana for Friday.
According to the IMD’s evening bulletin, the average minimum temperature in the state rose marginally by 0.2°C but remained significantly below normal at 2.7°C lower than average. Besides Hisar, low temperatures were recorded at Mahendragarh (0.8°C), Narnaul (1.5°C), Sonipat and Jind AWS (2.6°C), Sirsa and Mewat AWS (2.9°C), and Rohtak AWS (3.8°C).