LAHORE, March 18: The future of the wheat crop hangs in the balance amid a host of hostile factors — rising temperatures, diminished water supplies and no rain forecast.

The significance of temperature has become crucial significance due to the depleted irrigation supplies. The Punjab has consumed its share of irrigation supplies for Rabi and closed all canals, ‘gifting’ away the water now flowing in the rivers to Sindh. For the last two days, meanwhile, the temperature has shot up to 33 degrees C. Experts say temperatures beyond 32 degrees C can damage the crop.

A farmer told Dawn the crop was in for big trouble if the temperature did not come down. While the overall health of the crop, he said, looked good on account of the last two waterings, water was an essential for grain formation. But there is no hope for water unless it rains. The increasing temperature has raised hopes for rain in the upper Punjab, the NWFP and parts of Balochistan.

Given these factors, the wheat yield might come down to around 14 million tonnes compared to last year’s 15.24 million tonnes despite the increased acreage.

Another farmer said even the 14 million tonnes might prove an optimistic projection. The yield, he said, might easily come down by another million tonnes. A more assured assessment, he said, would be possible in about a fortnight.