Intermittent showers on Saturday posed a major threat to cash crops like grapes, wheat and onion, officials from the agriculture department said.
Most parts of the district witnessed sporadic showers or drizzles which raised the humidity levels very high at night. This forced the farmers to stop their activity of plucking fruits from plants and ensure that the grapes that were already plucked were kept in a dry place.
"This is also the time when diseases are likely to attack plants and fruits. Generally, plants develop fungus because of the prevailing conditions and farmers have to be quick in spraying insecticides to protect the yield," an officer from the agriculture department of the Yashwantrao Chavan Maharashtra Open University said.
At the same time, chilly weather is harmful for fruits (grapes) and bulbs (onions) which are likely to crack. "Once cracked, the crop cannot be saved. The time is very short and farmers have to be wary of the changing weather conditions. The chill is dangerous for the crops and farmers will have to use every opportunity that comes their way to remove the ready crop from plants," the officer said.
"This is the time when grapes are being plucked and packed for transportation. Around this time the water supply to grapes is stopped and the sour fruit is on the verge of turning sweet. This requires ample amount of sunlight and good temperatures, around 12 to 15 degrees Celsius, and dry weather. The rains are playing spoilsport for the crops," Ganesh Dugaje, a grape farmer from Dindori, said.
Rajaram Salunkhe, another farmer from Niphad, pointed out that the condition was similar for wheat and other crops. "The plants have to be watched very minutely. The rapid changes in temperature and weather conditions do not allow the farmers a chance to save their crops. The temperatures and humidity conditions cannot be managed and hence the crops are likely to be damaged. There are a number of farmers who have met the agriculture officers to look into the issue," Salunkhe said.
An agriculture officer from the Superintendent of Agriculture's Office (SAO) said there were reports from the taluka agriculture officers about the possible damage of crops but the picture would be clearer on Monday. "Owing to Sunday, which was a holiday, we are unable to access the damage. The picture would be clear on Monday," the officer said.
The revenue officials further said the orders of the panchanama would be given soon. "The district received around 1 mm of rainfall on Saturday, accompanied by cold winds which affected the crops. We are waiting for reports to get the picture of the situation. We will get some ideas from the tehsildars on Monday, after which, we will be able to order panchanamas to get the exact level of damage," the official from the district collectorate said.
Source - http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/
