Heavy rain alert in Maharashtra for 10 days. More trouble for farmers?

The state has directed guardian ministers to hold meetings and undertake an awareness drive for the farmers to help minimise their losses

More trouble could be in store for farmers from the agrarian distress regions of Vidarbha and Marathwada as the weather bureau has forecast heavy rainfall between October 5 and 14. The state issued an advisory for the farmers on Tuesday, warning them of the expected downpour,

Maharashtra agriculture minister Pandurang Fundkar has asked the farmers to protect their harvested crop in the wake of a thunderstorm and heavy rainfall warning issued for Marathwada and Konkan region till October 14. (HT photo)

The farmers in most of districts have completed harvesting their kharif crops — pulses, cereals, oilseeds — and will have to protect them from the rain.

The state has directed guardian ministers to hold meetings and undertake an awareness drive for the farmers to help minimise their losses.

“We are sending out messages on mobile phones of farmers, warning them about the rainfall,” said Pandurang Fundkar, agriculture minister.

“The farmers have also stocked their produce at Agricultural Produce Market Committees (APMC) and need to take all the measures to protect the stock. We have also issued an advisory at the village-level about the precautions the farmers need to take in case of lightening.”