Climate-proofing India's daily bread: The race for resilient wheat
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In 2022, hot weather arrived early in India's major wheat growing regions, shrivelling crops and leading the government to ban wheat exports and reduce rations of the grain under the food distribution programme to protect domestic stocks.
A year later, history repeated itself. Even this year's crop will be 6.25% lower than a government estimate of 112 million metric tons, a leading industry body forecasts, setting the stage for the country to import for the first time in six years.
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Studies have shown how temperature increases linked to climate change could reduce global wheat yields by up to 30% by mid-century, potentially slashing exports from major producers such as India and driving up global food prices.
In India, yields could fall by more than 8% by 2035 due to higher maximum temperatures and reduced rainfall, according to a government assessment. The decline could top 20% by the end of the century.
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More than 70 climate-resilient wheat varieties are being developed or are already on the market in India, catering to the vast country's diverse range of weather and soil conditions.
"These varieties save wheat crops against heat, drought, waterlogging and prevalent diseases," said IIWBR Director Gyanendra Pratap Singh.
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"Farmers are already making many changes, for example, changing timing of sowing and harvesting, also changing cropping patterns," she said, calling for more education and advisory services for the sector.
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