A study published by Punjab Agriculture University suggests that cotton and maize yield in the state will drop by at least 11% and 13%, respectively by the year of 2050.
The reason behind it is reportedly climate change.
The study, published in the India Meteorological Department's journal, picked five major crops from Punjab — rice, maize, cotton, wheat, and potato along with their yearly yields and used rainfall and temperature data collected between 1986 and 2020 to reveal trends in the crop production.
Researchers found that while the average decadal rainfall in Punjab had decreased, the number of heavy rainfall incidents, on the contrary, has been on the rise.
"Changes in minimum temperature have resulted in changes in mean temperature throughout all growing seasons. It means that the minimum temperature has shown a rising trend," the scientists say in their study.
The rise in minimum temperature is not good for crops like rice, maize, and cotton, while it is beneficial for potatoes and wheat.
The yield loss will increase from 13% to 24% for maize, 11% to 24% for cotton, and 1% to 2% for rice, respectively. However, potato and wheat production will remain the same.
It is worth noting that Punjab contributes almost one-fourth of the total cereal grains across the country.