India: April heat wave may adversely impact mangoes, lychees and livestock

India Meteorological Department’s (IMD’s) prediction of a severe heat wave in April is likely to adversely impact the country’s horticultural crops such as mangoes and lychees, along with its milk and poultry production. “Extreme heat conditions would impact mango and lychee fruits which are mainly grown in northern and western parts of the country,” said Kripan Ghosh, head, agriculture, Meteorology Division, IMD, to Financial Express. He said that district level impact-based forecasts are being issued to farmers to take adequate measures to protect their crop. The Met department, in its outlook for this month, has predicted hot and dry conditions for central India, a region that includes Gujarat and Maharashtra in the west and Odisha in the east, and is a ‘core heat zone’ in April. While stating that the livestock and poultry productivity is very sensitive to heat, N Chattopadhyay, president, International Society for Agriculture Meteorology, said that the mango crop is currently ...