India Swelters
The Indian government insist that they are on target to produce another bumper wheat harvest in 2010 despite weekend temperatures hitting a more than 50 year high for April.
With temperature hovering above 45 degree Celsius at many places, at least eighty people are reported to have died.
In Rajasthan, western parts are badly affected by the severe heat-wave, whilst Uttar Pradesh is reeling under severe heat conditions. Most part of that state recorded 4 to 6 degree Celsius higher temperature than normal over the weekend. According to met department Agra was the hottest place where mercury touched 45.6 degrees Celsius (114 degrees F).
A senior official with the ministry of agriculture on Sunday said that wheat production is not likely to be adversely impacted, as harvesting has been completed in most places. He expressed the hope that production this year is likely to be around 82 MMT.
He is obviously ignoring the fact that maximum temperatures in March have also been 5-7 F above normal in Haryana and Punjab, the top yielding wheat states, but why should that surprise us?
Another thing that doesn't spring any shocks is that the government have bought 13 MMT of domestic wheat already since April 1st, when they are paying the kind of crazy money that they are.
With temperature hovering above 45 degree Celsius at many places, at least eighty people are reported to have died.
In Rajasthan, western parts are badly affected by the severe heat-wave, whilst Uttar Pradesh is reeling under severe heat conditions. Most part of that state recorded 4 to 6 degree Celsius higher temperature than normal over the weekend. According to met department Agra was the hottest place where mercury touched 45.6 degrees Celsius (114 degrees F).
A senior official with the ministry of agriculture on Sunday said that wheat production is not likely to be adversely impacted, as harvesting has been completed in most places. He expressed the hope that production this year is likely to be around 82 MMT.
He is obviously ignoring the fact that maximum temperatures in March have also been 5-7 F above normal in Haryana and Punjab, the top yielding wheat states, but why should that surprise us?
Another thing that doesn't spring any shocks is that the government have bought 13 MMT of domestic wheat already since April 1st, when they are paying the kind of crazy money that they are.