Unseasonal rain in parts of Marathwada takes a toll on mango cultivation

Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar: Unseasonal rain accompanied by gusty winds lashed parts of Nanded, Parbhani and Dharashiv districts in Marathwada on Sunday evening, causing significant damage to mango orchards, while some areas in Tuljapur taluka also reported hailstorms.The adverse weather occurred amid a yellow alert issued by the India Meteorological Department (IMD) for several parts of Marathwada. Farmers said the sudden spells of rain and strong winds hit mango crops at a crucial pre-harvest stage.Mango cultivation, including the popular Kesar variety and several local varieties grown across the region, has been affected as heavy winds caused fruits to fall prematurely. "The mango season is nearing harvest, and the strong winds have led to large-scale fruit drop. Mango cultivation provides supplementary income to farmers, but the current weather is inflicting huge losses," said Santosh Dadke, a farmer from Parbhani.Farmers' leader Jayaji Suryawanshi demanded that the losses be brought under govt insurance coverage. "Such a proposal was discussed earlier, but no concrete policy has been implemented. Extending insurance protection to mango cultivation would benefit farmers not only in Marathwada, but also in Konkan and other mango-growing regions," he said.According to the IMD forecast, thunderstorms accompanied by lightning, light to moderate rainfall and gusty winds of 30-40 kmph are likely at isolated places across many parts of Marathwada on Tuesday. Latur and Dharashiv districts may continue to witness similar weather conditions for at least the next 48 hours, officials said.Marathwada has already witnessed the impact of unseasonal summer rain, with at least six lightning-related deaths reported and crops damaged over nearly 16,000 hectares during the ongoing season.
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