Untimely rains and hailstones have damaged horticulture crops like grapes and oranges and onions on a wide scale in Maharashtra. According to preliminary estimates of the state government , crops on 1.40 lakh hectare have been damaged. The state government has promised to announce a relief package in the next cabinet meeting

Large parts of central India, including Vidarbha and Marathwada have been receiving rainfall coupled with hailstones from the past four days. This has damaged oranges in Vidarbha, grapes and onions in north Maharashtra and jowar in other parts of the state.

Umakant Dangat, commissioner agriculture, Maharashtra , said, "According to preliminary estimates, the crop on 1.40 lakh hectare has been damaged . Wheat, jowar, grapes, onion , oranges in Nagpur region are some of the most affected crops." The problem of hailstones was severe in Vidarbha region. Fruit-bearing orange orchards were ready for harvesting .

"About 90 per cent fruits of the current Mruga Bahar in Nagpur, Amaravati and Wardha have been damaged by the rainfall ," said Shridhar Thakre, executive director , Mahaorange, an organisation of orange growers from Maharashtra. Growers were getting a good rate of Rs 25/kg as the crop was low due to the past year's drought.

Now, prices are expected to increase as very little crop has remained in good condition. Grape growers have suffered a setback at a time when demand for the fruit had just started increasing with increase in temperature in different parts of the country. Kishor Mohite, president of Nashik district grape growers association said, "About 35 per cent of the orchards in the Vadner Bhairav region in Chandvad taluka , which mostly supplies grapes to Bangladesh, have been badly damaged. In other parts of the district, cracking of grapes has happened due to heavy rainfall."

Grape exporters are also assessing the damage. "We have to figure out how the damage will affect our export commitments," said a grower exporter on anonymity condition. The state has started field surveys to review the situation and provide relief to farmers.

Source - http://economictimes.indiatimes.com/