Last year, the unseasonal rains damaged 76000 hectare of crops (onions and grapes) in Maharashtra only. And this year’s unseasonal rains and hailstorm over Maharashtra should have resulted in widespread damage but due to the smart move by farmers there, the damage is way less. Farmers from the regions of Marathwada, Vidarbha, and Northern Maharashtra were prepared for these unseasonal rains.
Breaking the traditional norms was the key in such a situation. Jagdish Holkar, former Chairman of Indian Grape Processing Board said, “This year, many farmers moved away from older cultivation methods of using canopies for grapes, while many others switched to trellising style that does not let rain water accumulate on the vines.”
There have been reports of cracks in grape berries which could lead to fungal infestation added Holkar. Vivek Bhide, a mango farmer from Ratnagiri and member of the Mango & Cashew Board of Maharashtra government, said, “Although rains have not hit Konkan region, the weather in the last seven days has led to an increase cloud cover coupled with a sharp rise in temperature.”
The night temperature has risen from 18 degrees to 23 degrees within a span of two days. These two factors have led to an increase in pest attacks such as Thrips.
However, the impact on mango farmers is minimal as the majority of them has either plucked the fruits or is in the process of plucking them.
This article was originally published in The Hindu.
Image Credit: Zeenews India
