Heavy rains wreak fresh havoc in Maharashtra as over 3,000 more hectares of crops damaged; vegetable prices set to rise

Time of India

26-05-2025

Pune: Maharashtra's agricultural sector has suffered another devastating blow as over 3,000 additional hectares of cropland have been damaged due to relentless rains that have lashed several districts over the past few days.
This is besides the earlier reported damage to nearly 31,889 hectares, pushing the state's farming community deeper into crisis. The total affected area now stands at a staggering 34,842 hectares, with indications that this number is likely to rise.
The fresh wave of destruction has been particularly severe in districts like Amravati, Jalgaon, Buldhana and Ahilyanagar, while places like Nashik, Solapur and Pune have also been hit.
Nashik district alone has reported damage to 3,230 hectares of crops, while Solapur has seen 1,252 hectares of crops destroyed. Pune district has recorded losses across 676 hectares, according to preliminary reports from the state agriculture department.
The intense rains, which began in the first half of May, have particularly devastated mango orchards, banana plantations and vegetable crops.
In Solapur, banana, mango and pomegranate cultivation has been severely hit, while other crops such as onions, lemons, jowar and mung have also been destroyed.
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The worst affected districts include Amravati (12,295 hectares), Jalgaon (4,538 hectares), Buldhana (4,003 hectares), Jalna (1,726) and Ahilyanagar (1,156).
Vegetable vendors said prices were likely to rise over the next few days owing to the widespread damage.
A senior official from Pune APMC said, "We have observed a 50% decline in vegetable arrivals over the past two days. Tomato prices have already begun to rise, with most vegetables expected to see a price increase in the coming days.
Just a few days ago, 1kg of tomatoes was sold in the wholesale market for Rs 5, but now it is being sold at Rs 20-25 due to the shortage. Farmers are facing challenges in harvesting their produce, and much of it has already been damaged in recent days.
A significant portion of the supplies to the market yard has spoiled en route. We anticipate a further drop in supplies as the rains persist."
Dr Kailas Dakhore, agro-meteorologist, Vasantrao Naik Marathwada Agricultural University, told TOI, " In numerous areas, various standing crops, including fruits in orchards, have been severely affected.
Most vegetable farms have incurred significant losses over the past two weeks due to persistent rainfall accompanied by gusty winds. Additionally, many trees in both old and new orchards have been uprooted.
In groundnut crops, sprouting has occurred due to waterlogging, which is detrimental. Many of these crops are beyond recovery."
On the upcoming kharif sowing and its challenges, Dr Dakhore said, "Farmers have not had sufficient time to prepare their land for the kharif season because the rains started as early as May, a period when we typically require drier conditions.
Pre-monsoon showers persisted, and the monsoon arrived earlier than expected."
Farmers need a rain-free window of 15 to 20 days to prepare their land adequately. "Without this preparation, sowing becomes nearly impossible. For tractor operations, the soil needs to be in a 'wapsa' condition, meaning it should be moist enough to hold together but dry enough to allow machinery to function effectively without getting stuck," Dr Dakhore added.
The term "wapsa" refers to an optimal soil moisture level for agricultural activities, particularly for using machinery like tractors. In this state, the soil is neither too wet (which would cause the tractor to get stuck or create ruts) nor too dry (which would make it too hard to till). It is a balanced condition where the soil has enough moisture to be workable but is not overly saturated, ensuring smooth land preparation for sowing.
Shriram Gadhave, president of the All India Vegetable Growers Association, said, "We anticipate a sharp surge in vegetable prices due to the extensive crop damage, which has been more severe this year compared to previous years. This devastation has also disrupted land preparation for the kharif season. In certain regions like Indapur, Baramati and Junnar, the farmland soil has been eroded due to heavy water flow.
We expect prices of all vegetables to increase significantly due to reduced supplies. Furthermore, onions stored in warehouses are at risk of rotting due to the prevailing moisture and ongoing rains."
Achyut Mangte Patil, a farmer in Akola, said, "The recent rains have caused widespread damage to onion crops in our area. In our village, which spans 3,000 acres of farmland, approximately 300 to 400 acres of onions and jowar have been affected. We expect prices to rise in the coming days due to the shortage of supplies following this damage."
The crops affected include banana, guava, mango, rice, chickpeas, millet, maize, onion, papaya, moong, urad, sesame, groundnut, vegetables and citrus fruits.