The severe winter has receded across Maharashtra but the grape farmers are yet to recover from the ‘cold shock'. The sudden drop in the night temperature, especially in early February, has taken a toll on vineyards across the State. In Nashik district alone, about 40 per cent of the crop has been destroyed.
The vines have shed their leaves and the sugar sap in the grape fruits has fallen. A senior Maharashtra Government official told Business Line that the “local revenue department has already started surveying the vineyards for crop damage. Survey work has commenced in Nashik, Solapur and Sangli but the data are still being compiled. Preliminary estimates show that farmers in the Nashik are have suffered losses of about Rs 1,300 crore,” the official said.
Brix measure
The State produces about 75 per cent of the total national production of grapes. Vineyards are spread over 2.5 lakh acres, of which 1.5 lakh acres are in Nashik district.
Mr Ashok Gaikwad, Vice-President, Maharashtra State Grape Growers Association, said that due to near-freezing temperatures in February, the dew drops on the leaves turned to ice, which in turn destroyed the leaves and grape bunches. Vineyards closer to rivers and canals suffered more damage, he added.
Vineyards growing wine grapes are in bigger trouble because the Brix, which is a measure for sugar content in the grapes, has fallen below the 22 mark. Such grapes are not suitable for wine-making, Mr Gaikwad said.
Inadequate compensation
“Our farmers make investments of about Rs 1.5 lakh per acre but when the crop fails they don't even get Rs 20,000 as compensation from the State Government. Crop insurance companies also do not give adequate cover to vineyards,” Mr Gaikwad said.
Mr Dilip Maule, a farmer from Niphad sub-division in Nashik, who has lost a four-acre vineyard to the freezing weather, said that the maximum destruction took place on the night of February 8.
“Farmers with fields closer to the canals had let water flow freely in the vineyard before February 8, as they wanted better absorption of water in the vines. When the temperature plummeted, the water froze, destroying the vines,” Mr Maule said.