MUMBAI (Commoditiescontrol) - Marathwada and Vidarbha, two prominent regions in Maharashtra's Soybean and Cotton farming, are witnessing severe drought like conditions. If urgent steps are not taken, making available water or an artificial rainfall, that would force the farmers to consider re-sowing besides damaging their financial condition. Farmers are all eyes to heaven, praying for rain-gods to shower mercy upon them. However, the state government has initiated steps of artificial rains by second week of August if the conditions persists.
In fact, the weather condition are unfavorable in adjoining states as well. Apart from Maharashtra, Andhra Pradesh and Karnataka require rain fall on emergency basis, as crop conditions in these states are on 'ventilator', a Latur based trader said.
If rain fall does not resumes in next 3 - 4 days, farmers have no option but go for a re-sowing in later days when rain fall picks up or with the support of artificial rain. Toor, Soybean, Cotton, Mung, Urad and Turmeric can be effected badly.
As per Latur-based trader, Mr Anil Chandak of Mansi Trader, farmers are started removing urad, moong, tur and soybean crop which had sowed earlier.
Farmer will wait and watch for rain and would start resowing tur, soybean, bajra and jowar instead of urad (urad 90 days crop) and moong (moong 60 days crop).
Maharashtra government has already initiated steps by floating tenders. It has earmarked Rs 27 crore for artificial rainfall or “cloud seeding” to be carried out in Marathwada and Vidarbha region. A center will be set-up at Aurangabad to facilitate the process. Two private players have evinced interest in carrying out the activity. “Khyati Climate Modification Consultant” has been awarded the work.
Intensity of the dry-spell can be measured from the fact that state would miss its harvest season and in fact have to contain with the lower yield.
According to the Chief Minister of Maharashtra, sowing has been done on 90 lakh hectare land, but due to delay in rains, 23 lakh hectare might have to go for re-sowing. And, if the weather bureau indication is anything to go by there are no chance of rain revival till the end of this week.
A local farmer from the Partur bloc of Marathwada said that, “Rains are required urgently to prevent extensive damage to crops. About 25-30 per cent of Soybean, Moong crops have suffered damages. Cotton crops between 10-15 per cent is being damaged due to drought conditions in the region.”
If corrective steps are not taken, we may have to go for re-sowing, in which case most farmers will be strained of finances besides suffering from poor yields.
A farmer said, “ we will not go for re-sowing unless and until we get rains. Our crops have already suffered a damage from poor rains.”
In Maharashtra, the dry spell often leads to poor sowing of kharif crops – in Marathwada and Vidarbha. The deficient rainfall sometimes extends up to 80 per cent in these regions.
Meanwhile, the State Secretary has asked all the district agriculture department directorate to mobilise adequate resources to face the challenges.
In case of Pulses, a major crop in Gulbarga and Bijapur of Karnataka, sowing of 30-35 per cent is completed till date due to the poor rain.
According to the Oilseed Industry experts, if the rains fail to pick-up in the Immediate terms, about 50-70 per cent of soybean crop will be adversely affected. Most growing regions are under threat of re-sowing.
Dry-spell is likely to bring down the total acreage under cultivation. As per the earlier estimates the country was expected to see 10-15 per cent increase in oilseed sowing.
(By Commoditiescontrol Bureau; +91-22-61391533)
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