With unseasonal rain lashing the state since February, over 40,000 hectares of rabi crop has been damaged in the state, Maharashtra state agriculture minister, Eknath Kadse said recently.

The financial loss is yet to be fully assessed, Kadse adds.

“After we come to know the actual loss, the government will roll out compensations to farmers,” Maharashtra state agriculture ministry official told.

“The state had seen huge loss due in food grains output due to unseasonal rains across the state, not even our state the whole country has face the heat of such weather,” official adds.

According to the survey, unpredictable weather only 226 talukas have received 70 per cent of average rainfall out of 355 talukas driving the agriculture growth into negative by 1 per cent.

If growth in allied sectors such as fisheries and animal husbandry are not recorded, state agriculture growth has declined to 12.3 per cent.

The production of cereals is likely to fall by 28 per cent, pulses 45 per cent, oilseeds 53 per cent and cotton 25 per cent. The deficient rainfall resulted in the area under rabi crop cultivation falling by 27 per cent. The food grain production is estimated at 10.01 million tonnes in 2014-15 compared with 14.57 million tonnes, a decline of 31 per cent.

Source - http://www.blackseagrain.net/