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  Metros   Mumbai  02 Nov 2019  Vegetable supply to hit markets

Vegetable supply to hit markets

THE ASIAN AGE. | SONALI TELANG
Published : Nov 2, 2019, 1:51 am IST
Updated : Nov 2, 2019, 1:51 am IST

The chief minister on Friday said that 54 lakh hectares of crop area has already been destroyed.

Grape cultivation has also been badly affected in Nashik as around 2 lakh hectares of vineyards have been damaged.
 Grape cultivation has also been badly affected in Nashik as around 2 lakh hectares of vineyards have been damaged.

Mumbai: The vegetable stock in city markets may again reduce due to crop damage in Marathwada and Nashik owing to heavy rain. Agriculture Produce Market Committee (APMC) officials said that the supply of vegetables to the Lasalgaon APMC, which provides vegetables across state markets, has already been hit.

The unseasonal rain in October in the Marathwada and Vidarbha regions has drastically affected the production of cotton, soya bean, corn, rice and bajra among others.

The chief minister on Friday said that 54 lakh hectares of crop area has already been destroyed. According to preliminary estimates, losses worth Rs 8,000 crores are expected across 30 districts.

Nitin Jadhav, a farmer from Marathwada, said, “Marathwada has seen the worst rain in October where almost all crops have suffered 100 per cent damage. We have farms of soya bean and pulses that have been completely destroyed. The worst is that we have to wait for site inspection to avail insurance money. Where will we keep our crops till then?”

In Nashik, Satara, Sangli and Pune, up to 40 per cent of vegetable crops have been destroyed as per APMC members.

“We expect the prices of vegetables like onion and tomato to rise as even ready crops have been damaged due to the rains. Even though farmers have another fifteen days for picking, if the rains continue with such intensity, the retail prices may increase due to dip in supply,” said an AMPC member, requesting anony-mity.

Grape cultivation has also been badly affected in Nashik as around 2 lakh hectares of vineyards have been damaged.

Even as the chief minister has assured compensation to affected farmers, the Shetkari Swabhimani Sanghatana (SSS), a farmers’ union, has demanded that each farmer in Marathwada and Vidarbha districts be immediately provided with Rs 50,000.

“The extent of damage in Marathwada and Vidarbha due to the October rain is between 70 to 100 per cent. The procedure for site inspection proposed by the government lacks

manpower and as such, site inspection will take longer. We demand that Rs 50,000 is given to each farmer as immediate relief,” said Ravikant Tupkar of SSS.    

Tags: agriculture produce market committees