Yavatmal: The cotton bowl of Maharashtra, Yavatmal, infamous for farm suicides, could see a 50% drop in yield this season, as per the state agriculture department. This striking estimate is based on a delayed and deficient monsoon, said Manoj Dhage, superintendent of agriculture, Yavatmal.“All three major kharif crops in the district have taken a hit. The monsoon arrived late, and the rainfall was deficient. Cotton production could dip by half. Soyabean could see a decline of more than 60%, and tur yield may drop by 40%,” said Dhage.Cotton was sown over 4,95,322 hectares in Yavatmal this season. The crop failed to attain adequate height and developed far fewer squares than normal, he said. June remained almost completely dry, and heavy rain over two days in late July damaged standing crops instead of aiding them, Dhage added. August brought only about 22% of the expected rainfall, deepening the dry spell.Soyabean was sown over 2,45,360 hectares, much of it under early-maturing varieties, and faces the steepest decline due to delayed and deficient rainfall, Dhage said. Tur, cultivated over 1,05,587 hectares, is under moisture stress that officials said could affect flowering and pod formation. “Soyabean needs water while the pods are filling, but with no rain, the pods did not fill properly, and the damage is visible to farmers now,” Dhage said.Yavatmal district has received just 78% of its average rainfall this season, a deficit of nearly 22%. Of its 16 talukas, only four: Arni, Zari-Jamni, Ner and Darwha, recorded above-average rainfall. Pusad, Kelapur, Mahagaon, Digras, Ghatanji, Wani, Umarkhed and Kalamb received between 70% and 87% of their average rainfall, while Yavatmal, Babhulgaon and Malegaon fared worse, at 57% to 68%.Dhage said the situation in Ralegaon and Babhulgaon is the most concerning, with farmers uncertain whether their crops will survive.For most Yavatmal farmers, cotton and soybean earnings fund their expenses. Anup Chavhan, a farmer from Babulgaon, said: “The future looks bleak. Many of us are now finding it difficult to repay loans and plan for the next season.”In Amravati district, soybean grains have not reached maturity due to a lack of rain, thereby impacting production.(Amravati Inputs from Anil Jadhav)
