News > India's wheat and rapeseed ravaged by rain just before harvesting

India's wheat and rapeseed ravaged by rain just before harvesting

Untimely rainfall and hailstorms have battered winter-sown crops, including wheat, rapeseed, and chickpeas in India's main producing areas, delaying harvesting, industry and government officials said. This year's wheat harvest is critical for India, the world's biggest producer of grain after China. Hot and unseasonably warm weather cut India's wheat output in 2022 and 2023, leading to a sharp drawdown in state reserves.