Karanja cotton farmers fear sharp yield drop on 13,371 hectares after erratic rain and heat

Cotton farmers in Karanja taluka are in serious trouble this year. Rainfall was low in the kharif season, there was no rain for many days in between, and a harsh sun followed. Farmers were already troubled by these conditions, and the cotton crop has now disappointed them too.

After the erratic rain, temperatures rose and the weather turned against the crop. This has affected the growth of the cotton plants and the formation of bolls. A sharp fall in yield is feared as a result.

Cotton has been sown on about 13,371 hectares in Karanja taluka. The yield this time is estimated at only one to one and a half quintals an acre. Farmers face a grave question: how will the costs of ploughing, fertiliser, pesticides, spraying, labour and cotton picking be recovered from such a low yield?

Farmers say the pattern of rain affected crop growth from the start of the season. When the rain went missing for a while, soil moisture dropped. Rising temperatures then added to the stress on the crops. Cotton did not get the weather it needs, so the growth of the plants, flowering and boll development were affected.

Farmers had hoped for a good cotton crop that would ease the year's financial burden. In that hope they spent heavily on seed, fertiliser, pesticides and labour. But it is now uncertain whether the standing crop will bring the income they expected.

In some areas the growth of the cotton is not satisfactory and bolls have not formed as expected. A fall in yield is therefore feared. As a result, farmers are likely to face financial loss despite having sown cotton.

Cotton farmers in Karanja taluka hope that the loss will be assessed on the actual yield, that the condition of the crop will be inspected, and that they will receive government assistance according to eligibility. Farmers demand that the agriculture department visit the fields, see the conditions and fix an estimate of the yield.

If the yield falls sharply, the government will have to consider the state of the crop seriously to give farmers financial relief. Attention is needed on a thorough survey of the affected area, a process of assistance under the applicable rules, and action on the claims of eligible farmers under the crop insurance scheme.

Farm costs are rising on one hand, and on the other the weather has left no guarantee of income. The question is how much support the cotton crop on about 13,371 hectares in Karanja taluka will give farmers. Farmers who put in labour, money and time and still do not get the expected yield are visibly helpless about how to balance their farming accounts.