Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar, Sep 22 (PTI) In a double whammy for cotton and soybean farmers in Maharashtra’s Nanded district grappling with drought-like conditions, the crops are facing infestation of Yellow Mosaic and insects.
According to the administration, Nanded district has so far received 587.8 mm of rainfall against the average expected rainfall of 764.2 mm.
Though Nanded’s deficit is low (23.1 per cent) compared to other neighbouring districts, crops are facing infestations, causing losses to farmers, an official said.
The area under Soybean cultivation in Nanded increased by 12 per cent this year to 4.69 lakh hectares compared to the average area in previous years.
“Soybean is in the flowering phase but is infected with leaf-eating caterpillar, stem fly, beetle, pod borer, white fly, and Yellow Mosaic disease, leading to stunted crop growth,” the report says.
Cotton is also a prime crop in the Marathwada region.
“The cotton crop in Nanded is currently in the flowering and pod formation phase. However, due to a lack of rain, the crops are facing severe moisture stress and drying up. Due to the temperature rise, the cotton crop is infested by insects like aphids, jassids, whitefly and thrips. The leaves are turning yellow and growth has been hampered,” according to the report.
Former chief minister and Rajya Sabha MP Ashok Chavan questioned the alleged rejection of crop insurance claims by companies.
During an online meeting with State Agriculture Secretary Parimal Singh, the former CM said: “The grounds on which insurance companies are rejecting farmers’ claims are questionable, especially when government machinery has already recorded the loss.
“At the same time, two farmers in the same revenue circle or villages (that received the same amount of rainfall) are getting paid for their losses in different proportions. This needs to be checked,” he said.
Chavan accused insurance companies of showing a casual approach and refusing to share their loss survey reports with the district collector.
“Insurance companies are also not visiting villages. As a result, the figure of insuring crops is going down and also defaming the Government of India.” PTI AW NSK
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