Unseasonal rains and hailstorms lashed parts of Vidarbha and Marathwada region of Maharashtra damaging rabi crops including cotton, orange, mosambi, wheat and tur.

Cotton crop standing on over 13,000 hectares in Nagpur was damaged along with orange and mosambi. Damage to rabi crops was also reported form Wardha and Amravati districts. Many villages in Nagpur witnessed hailstorm.

Nanded, Parbhani and Hingoli districts in the Marathwada region received rainfall in the last two days damaging tur and wheat. Parts of Vidarbha and Marathwada are likely to receive showers for the next two days.

About 56.93 lakh hectares (lh) is under rabi cultivation in the State and by December 27, 2019 sowing was completed on over 45.31 (79.95 per cent) lh. The Agriculture Department is assessing the damage.

In October, heavy showers had damaged kharif crops standing over 94.53 lh in Maharashtra. Production of most kharif crops, barring cotton, is expected to drop 4.5-12 per cent due to the heavy rain and floods in many parts of the State during the South-West monsoon, said a report from weather monitoring firm Skymet. Fresh spell of rains and hailstorm may compound the issues thus affecting production and supplies.

With rains revisiting the State in January, farmers are worried about excessive losses they have to shoulder. Most farmers whose crops were damaged in October rains are still waiting for compensation from insurance companies. The State government has not yet provided the aid of ₹25,000 per hectare as promised by Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray.

Farmers’ organisations have demanded that the government take steps and offer immediate help to the affected farmers.

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