New Delhi, April 22 -- Heatwaves will become a major threat to Indian agriculture workers and rice production, with labour productivity in key regions like the Indo-Gangetic plains projected to drop sharply under high-emission scenarios, a joint report by the Food and Agriculture Organisation and the World Meteorological Organisation has warned.

The report, titled "Extreme Heat and Agriculture", released on Wednesday, said that in the worst-affected areas, such as the Indo-Gangetic plains, average growing season physical work capacity (i.e., expected labour output) could fall below 40% by the end of the century under a high-emission scenario. The most intense risk from future heatwaves is concentrated around densely populated agricultura...