Warkaris worry about kharif production

Warkaris worry about kharif production

PUNE: With immense faith and hope pinned on Lord Vithal the despair was writ large on the faces of warkaris from Marathwada, Vidarbha and Solapur who are worried about the Kharif crop season this year. 

According to them, impending monsoon in the State will not only delay the sowing but might affect the entire Kharif production this year. 

Dadarao Satpute (72), a farmer from Kouthali village in Solapur said, “Due to delayed rainfall, we have not yet started the sowing of Kharif crops such as Jawari, Tur, Soybean, Urad and Moong. This will affect the production of Kharif crops as the growth time of the crops would be reduced eventually impacting the total yield.”

“This is one of the major crises for us and we are worried that if there is no rainfall, it will hit us hard as Kharif season is the only time when we do farming,” added Satpute.

However, some of the warkaris who are part of Sant Tukaram Maharaj and Sant Dnyaneshwar Maharaj Palkhis, felt that due to inadequate rainfall, they might have to cancel taking up of the Kharif crops this season.

Kashinath Mane (65) from Solapur said, “Due to delayed rainfall, we are yet to sow the seeds and if we do not receive adequate rain in the coming 10 days, we might not be able to sow any Kharif crops.”

“If there are any such crises, we hope that government help us by providing compensation as our income completely depends on this,” added Mane

Devidas Survase (65) from Vittahalwadi, Osmanabad also echoed the same views.

Addressing the agrarian distress, Balaji Sopanrao Sagar, a farmer from Chakur taluka in Latur feels that the subsidy of Rs 6,000 given by the government every year is not enough. 

“Water situation in Maharashtra is very alarming and it is important for the State Government to take necessary actions like linking rivers and improving groundwater levels so that this agrarian crisis would reduce,” added Sagar.

Vishnu Kular (58), a farmer from Vidarbha said, “The Kharif season lasts for four months but in our area, it rains for only one month. Therefore, we are not able to get good production of crops.”

Enjoyed reading The Bridge Chronicle?
Your support motivates us to do better. Follow us on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter to stay updated with the latest stories.
You can also read on the go with our Android and iOS mobile app.

Related Stories

No stories found.
logo
The Bridge Chronicle
www.thebridgechronicle.com