Unseasonal rains in Maharashtra affect fruit crops, leads to bumper crop of orange

Maharashtra are staring at losses due to unseasonal rains during the summer. Although it has led to a bumper crop of orange — as even farmers without irrigation facilities were able to grow the fruit — the onset of winter in northern India and heavy rainfall in the southern states crimped demand, pushing down farm gate rates for the fruit by more than half. The weather anomaly has also disturbed the arrival of grapes and strawberries, according to farmers.

According to the Orange Growers Association of India, yield of Nagpur Mandarin oranges is expected to be thrice last year’s output. However, the onset of winter in the north and heavy rains in the south has led to a glut in the market. "As against Rs 20/kg to Rs 25/kg we received at the farm gate, we are getting just Rs 8/kg to Rs 10/kg today," said Amol Totey, president of Orange Growers Association of India.

Normally, only farmers having irrigation facilities grew fruits in the current season, as the orchards have to sustain the fruits through the summer. However, intermittent unseasonal showers this summer led to a bumper production. Meanwhile, growers of the ‘mrug bahar’ variety of orange, which is harvested between February and April, said output will be lower due to deficient monsoon rainfall. Unseasonal rains have affected the grape crop.

The fruit was hit more by rains in growing areas than the rainfall in south India. Grapes were being exported to Bangladesh, giving growers a good returns of .Rs 100/kg for white grapes and Rs 150/kg for black grapes.