Unseasonal rains, coupled with hailstorm since Saturday, have again hit parts of Vidarbha, northern and western Maharashtra and Marathwada. This could severely damage crops such as wheat, jowar, corn, chana, onion and grapes covering over 10,000 hectares.
The State government has asked revenue officials to survey the crop damage.
This is the second major spell of unseasonal rainfall this year, after rains lashed parts of Vidarbha and Marathwada region in early January, damaging crops such as cotton, orange, sweet lime, wheat and tur.
Chairman and Managing Director of Sahayadri Farmer Producer Company, Vilas Shinde, said, the unseasonal rains have impacted the Nandgaon area of Nashik district, affecting crops such as wheat and corn. However, it appears that horticulture crops have not suffered in any major way. Additional reports are awaited, Shinde added.
Sahayadri is one of the largest farmer producer companies in Maharashtra.
A senior Revenue Department officer said that ground-level personnel have been asked to visit the fields to assess the damage. However, this can be done only when the water recedes. In districts such as Nashik, the grape harvest is in full season and contact with rain water will trigger a fungus attack.
Farmer Anand More from Aurangabad said that his rabi crop of wheat standing over 10 acres has been damaged.
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