Untimely rains ahead of harvest worry farmers in central, western India

Reports suggest standing crops in some parts of Maharashtra, MP and Gujarat may have been impacted, though the exact extent of damage can be gauged only after a proper survey

Sudden rains, accompanied by gusty winds and hailstorm over the past few days, have worried farmers across Central and western parts of the country who are already battling a relatively early advent of summer.

Reports suggest that standing crops in some districts of Maharashtra and Madhya Pradesh, and in the Saurashtra and Kutch regions of Gujarat seem to have been impacted by hailstorms, though the exact extent of damage can be gauged only after a proper survey by government officials.

If the showers and gusty winds continue for a few more days, the damage can be more widespread.

In Gujarat, farmers said standing jeera, castor and coriander crops have been hit due to untimely rains and hailstorms in some fields, while in Madhya Pradesh, the wheat crop in some fields in Mandsaur, Neemuch, Rajgarh and Sehore could be impacted. Most of the produce will be harvested in next 8-10 days.

“Rains and gusty winds at this time can lead to flattening and discoloration of wheat,” said Bhagwan Meena, founder of Kisan Swaraj Sangathan, a Madhya Pradesh-based farmer group.

Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan, meanwhile, urged farmers in a late night tweet not to worry as the state government is fully prepared to conduct a proper survey to assess the damage.

In Maharashtra, news agency PTI quoted Chief Minister Eknath Shinde as saying that untimely rains hit at least five districts, damaging standing crops just ahead of the harvest season.

While taking stock of the situation, Shinde directed officials to conduct panchnamas or assessments of the losses suffered by farmers, an official release said.

The affected districts include Thane, Palghar, and several parts of Washim, Nashik and Aurangabad.  

In neighbouring Gujarat, farmers said that standing jeera, castor and coriander crops in the Saurashtra and Kutch region, along with North Gujarat, have been impacted by unseasonal rains, hailstorm and gusty winds.

“Standing crops of ajwain, saunf and mustard have been impacted,” said Jeetendra Ahir from Kutch.

Meanwhile, the intensity and spread of unseasonal rains and hailstorm might reduce in the few ahead, weathermen predicted.

The India Meteorological Department (IMD) in its latest weather report released on Tuesday said that isolated thunderstorms or hailstorm activity is likely over MP and Maharashtra during the next 24 hours and over northern Odisha, Gangetic West Bengal and Jharkhand between March 9-10.

Because of the activity, maximum temperatures are very likely to fall over Central India and Maharashtra by 2-4 degrees Celsius during the next two days and rise by 2-4 degrees in the subsequent three days.

No significant change in maximum temperatures is likely over Gujarat during the next two days, though they are expected to rise by 2-4 degrees during subsequent three days. In the rest of the country, no significant change in maximum temperatures is expected over the next five days, the met said.

Some meteorologists predict that pre-monsoon rains may intensify and cover many parts of the country after mid-March.