Maharashtra: Cotton growers worried over strong possibility of hailstorm and rain
2024-12-27 11:56:44
Maharashtra: Cotton farmers are concerned about the high likelihood of rain and hailstorms
Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar: The India Meteorological Department (IMD) has issued a forecast of rain and hailstorm in parts of Marathwada in the next few days, giving sleepless nights to cotton growers and other farmers.
Ganesh Mane, a farmer from Beed district, said he is yet to harvest the cotton crop grown on 15 acres. "I am among the many farmers who have sown cotton a little late. Now the crop is ready for harvesting, but rain during the peak winter season will cause me huge losses," he said.
Cotton growers feared that their crop may get ruined if the cotton gets damp or wet due to rain or hailstorm. Farmer rights activist Jayaji Suryavanshi said the uncertainty of monsoon will prove disastrous for cotton growers. "Many farmers have suffered losses due to heavy rains in the Kharif season. Now the Rabi season is also getting affected due to bad weather," he said. Rabi crops are cultivated in about 19 lakh hectares in Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar and Latur divisions. A large part of this is cotton cultivation.
Agriculture department officials said that farmers who have harvested cotton crop should take care of their crop. A senior official said, "Cotton storage should be well covered to protect it from rain. Vehicles carrying cotton for transportation should also be protected from rain." According to the IMD, Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar and some other areas of the region are likely to receive hailstorm along with thunderstorms on Friday, followed by partly cloudy sky with moderate rain or thunderstorms in the next two days.
