Rains and hailstorms in parts of Maharashtra hit standing rabi crops, including wheat and jowar. Onion cultivation and onion seed plots were damaged, while vineyards in Sangli and Nashik districts suffered extensive damage. In the last two days, the State has received heavy showers and hailstorms.
Over 59 lakh hectares of land are under rabi cultivation this year in Maharashtra. According to the State Agriculture Department, wheat and jowar crops were ready for harvest and in some places, harvesting has already started. Significant damage to rabi cultivation was reported from the Marathwada region. Onion seed plots in Jalna were completely damaged. In Nanded, turmeric farmers said that the majority of the crop was destroyed because of a hailstorm.
According to the farmers, in Tasgaon (Sangli), vineyards were heavily damaged while in Vidarbha region, orange and mosambi plantation was damaged. According to grape cultivators in Nashik, the quality of grapes would be affected because of unseasonal rains. In the Konkan region, budding mango flowers were damaged in many parts.
The State officials said that the government is assessing the damage, and district officials will submit it.
In October last year, massive rains damaged Kharif crops. The State government had estimated that Kharif crops spread over 50 lakh hectare was damaged.
Cotton and soybean, the major Kharif crops in Marathwada and Vidarbha regions, were most affected.
“Series of lockdowns, unseasonal rains during Kharif and now rains and hailstorm. Farmers are completely broken down. We were expecting good returns in rabi season, but now we hope to cover at least cultivation cost,” said farmer Baba Sawat from Sangli.