Unseasonal rains have damaged crops such as mangoes, cashews, onions, potatoes, grapes and other vegetables and fruits in Maharashtra, India. The mango season has begun and the supply is still low, which has already increased prices. A shortage of mangoes due to unseasonal rains will further raise prices ahead of Akshay Tritiya, an auspicious day for Maharashtrians. Farmers in the affected districts fear that their crops will be infected by germs. The affected farmers' panchanamas will be prepared to get compensation from the state government.
Unseasonal rains over the last three days have damaged crops in several districts of Maharashtra, right from mangoes and cashews in the Konkan belt to onions, potatoes, grapes and other vegetables and fruits in the Ahmednagar and Nashik regions.
In the Konkan belt, mainly Ratnagiri and some parts of Sindhudurg district, the mango, cashew, kokum and jackfruit yield has been affected. Trees have fallen down, the soil has become wet and sticky, and farmers fear that the mango trees will be infected by germs. There is no respite for the mango growers, yet, as the cloudy weather persists.
Yogesh Patankar, a farmer from the Kachare village in Ratnagiri district, said, “In the last two days, at least 300 mango trees in our farms have been damaged which is a huge loss right at the beginning of the mango season. Hundreds of mango growers have been affected and we are now worried that germs will infect the trees.”
As the mango season has begun and supply is still less, prices are already high. A shortage of mangoes at this stage caused by unseasonal rain will further raise prices ahead of Akshay Tritiya, an auspicious day for Maharashtrians.
Balasaheb Jadhav, a fruit vendor at Market Yard, Pune, said, “Currently, mangoes are selling for more than Rs1,000 a dozen according to their size and quality. However, the supply of mangoes from the Konkan region has reduced in the last two days due to the rain. If this situation continues, mangoes will sell at even higher rates in the coming days.”
Like the farmers in the Konkan belt, farmers in the Newasa, Shrirampur and Kopargaon talukas of Ahmednagar district, too, have been affected by the unseasonal rain.
Trimbak Bhadgale, a farmer and member of the Shetkari (Farmers’) Association in Ahmednagar, said, “Our crops have been damaged to the extent that our entire family has been pushed into poverty. They had dreamed of earning good income this year but the rain has dashed all hopes. Thousands of farmers and their families have been financially affected.”
Another farmer, Nagesh Jadhav’s entire pomegranate crop on three acres of land has been destroyed. “Our fruits were ready to be plucked and sent to the market next week but the entire farm has been destroyed. Hardly any fruits are left in good condition. We had spent over Rs1 lakh on growing the fruits which is a huge loss.”
Siddharam Salimath, Ahmednagar district collector, said, “Earlier, when there was unseasonal rain in March, we prepared panchanamas of all the affected farmers and sent the report to the state government to get compensation. With unseasonal rain again over the last three days, there has been major damage to our crops and we will once again prepare the affected farmers’ panchanamas.”
Source - https://www.hindustantimes.com
