Untimely rain and sudden drop in temperature may adversely affect ready-to-harvest rabi crops and fruits across the district. Jowar, wheat and gram crops are ready for harvest but the rain could play spoiler. The fields of grapes and mangoes too were inundated by incessant rains.

An agriculture department official said a survey of affected farms to estimate losses has begun. Crops of vegetables like tomatoes, cauliflower and coriander in areas like Junnar, Ambegaon and Khed have been the worst affected. Some farmers hurriedly plucked gram and jowar from the fields to avoid further damage.

Farmers said that if rains and cloudy conditions prevail for the next couple of days, not only ready-to-harvest crops but crops still in fields would also suffer. Government officials also expressed fear of spread of fungal infections in grapes and vegetables. State agriculture commissioner Vikas Deshmukh said, "Instructions have been issued to regional officers to initiate survey for assessing crop damages.

As per our preliminary estimates, grapes and mangoes could face damages mainly because of drop in temperatures and saturation of water in fields. Among rabbi crops, jowar, gram and onion may suffer damages." The situation in other districts of the state is no different.

The above normal monsoon last year had revived hopes of a good rabi crop, but untimely rain last month and the current spell of showers have spoiled the chances. In Nashik, vineyards and late kharif onion crop have been damaged while wheat, jowar and gram across the state are in danger. Though farmers in Aurangabad, Beed, Osmanabad and Parbhani completed their harvesting recently, their counterparts in Jalna are set to sustain heavy losses.

Sugarcane cutting in western Maharashtra has been stopped since Saturday and harvesting of turmeric has been badly affected in Satara and Sangli. The mango and cashewnut trees that were in the flowering stage may lose their fruits to pest infection. Kailas Bhosale, the president of the Nashik division Maharashtra grape-growers association, said, "The rain and strong winds may lead to cracking of grape beads.

" Lasalgaon Agriculture Produce Market Committee chairman Nanasaheb Patil said, "Kharif onions will rot now." Aurangabad superintending agriculture officer P D Lonare said that in Jalna district, crops on nearly 30,000 hectare land have suffered. Stormy winds and heavy rains in the mango-growing belt of Marathwada will squeeze its production.

"Mango flowers are gone. The impact may not look significant now, but the yield will certainly dip if it continues to rain," Lonare said. In Kolhapur, the crop on thousands of acres of land is possibly lost.

Agriculture officers said jowar, gram, cereals, mango, cashew and turmeric could suffer if the conditions prevail. Howewer, paddy crop is safe. The assessment of damage is on in Sangli district.

"Mango and cashew plants are going through flowering period. There are reports from Konkan and Kolhapur that the flowers were lost," said Vikas Patil, chief executive officer of the Dapoli-based Maharashtra State Mango and Cashew Board.

Source - http://www.nyoooz.com/