Punjab heatwaves cut fruit yields by up to 50 per cent, UN says

Women carry much of the burden as heat cuts farm incomes, spoils perishable food and raises preterm birth risk, a joint FAO and WMO assessment finds.

Fruit productivity in Punjab's high-rainfall zones has fallen by as much as 50 per cent, the UN agencies found.

Heat stress reduces milk from large ruminants and raises outbreaks of foot-and-mouth disease in small ruminants.

Faster spoilage of vegetables and dairy products cuts local food supply and pushes up market prices.

Women bear a disproportionate share of the burden; research cited in the report puts preterm birth risk at 26 per cent during heatwaves.

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