Kailash Patil, owner of 20 acres of rain-fed land in Jalgaon, said that the second week of June brought good rains.
The long dry spell after the initial downpour has put farmers in a spot of bother. The fear is they will have to sow a second time because the first-sowing sprouts have dried up. This is expected to put heavy financial burden on the farmers.
Kailash Patil, owner of 20 acres of rain-fed land in Jalgaon, said that the second week of June brought good rains. "We sowed and planted some crops. After that, we need to have continuous rainfall, even if it's just a drizzle every now and then, as that is what helps the crops to grow. It has been almost 20 days with no sign of monsoon returning. It has definitely got us worried," he added.
Patil said that to do second-time sowing, they have to borrow money on high interest rates from private moneylenders. "During the first sowing, I had invested almost Rs2.5 lakh on seeds, fertilisers and labour. Now, we have to again borrow the same amount. The government should immediately step in and extend all possible help, otherwise more farmers will commit suicide," he warned.
General manager of the Indian Meteorological Department VK Rajeev said the dry spell will end in the next three to four days. "We have already predicted that this year the rains will be less. There won't be such a long dry spell again, but the quantity of rainfall will be less," he added.
Tukaram Patil, a trader, said the situation is quite grim. "Today, it might be only farmers who are facing trouble, but this agrarian crisis will have a cascading effect on other industries soon enough. We too may lose work if farmers do not come with their produce in market. There are a lot of people directly and indirectly dependent on agriculture activities. It will affect the overall market," he said.
Agriculture expert Anil Wankhede said the delay in sowing will raise the cost of foodgrain. "Traders have already starting hoarding foodgrain and pulses. In retail market, pulses are not less than Rs100 per kg. If the situation doesn't change, prices will shoot up. Even onion rates are going up. Two months ago, the bulb was being sold at Rs20 per kg; now, it's Rs40-50 per kg. As a result, inflation will increase, thus making it difficult for the common man," said Wankhede.
Govt needs to take immediate steps: NCP's Munde
NCP leader Dhananjay Munde has demanded that the state government curtail 15% water supply to industry. "This year, the monsoon has not been satisfactory so far; hence, the government should take immediate steps to save water. That water can be used in this time of crisis. Also, the state government should start extending help to farmers. Their loans should immediately be waived off," said Munde.
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