Unseasonal rain | After loss in rabi season, farmers head for difficult khariff season commencing June | Mumbai News
3 min readMumbaiApr 5, 2026 07:38 PM IST
After unseasonal rain wreaked havoc during the rabi season, farmers in Maharashtra are poised for difficult khariff season, beginning in June. The preparation for khariff season has already been marred by rain and hailstorm across 29 districts of the state, adding to the financial stress farmers face.
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State Agriculture Minister Dattatray Bharne said on Sunday, “The state government is sensitive to farmers problems. Unseasonal rain and hailstorms have affected rabi crops across 29 districts. Preliminary reports point to crop loss in five lakh hectares. The assessment process is still underway.”
Unlike rabi season where sowing was restricted to 65 lakh hectares, the khariff season sowing, which begins early June, is projected in 152 lakh hectares. It is the mainstay for farmers, especially small and marginal categories, who account for 78 per cent of agriculture sector.
Farmer leader from Vidarbha, Vijay Jawandhia, said, “Farmers should have easy access to bank loans by early May. If they are denied crop loan, they will be driven to private money lenders. And this will lead to greater financial stress in Vidarbha and Marathwada region.”
Jawandhia also demanded immediate disbursal of crop loss waiver of upto Rs 2 lakh announced by Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis during the budget session. “If farmers fail to clear debt, financial institutions are not going to consider their crop loan applications. The government should also bring out a new crop insurance policy, accomodating crop loss caused by natural calamities,” he added.
The farmers who went for delayed rabi sowing have lost their standing crops due to rain and hailstorm in March and April. The crops impacted include wheat, jowar and harbara, apart from grapes, bananas and mangoes.
According to Swabhimani Shetkari Sanghatana president Raju Shetti, “The state government should extend financial assistance to farmers who lost crops twice during the 2025 khariff and 2026 rabi seasons. In the budget session, the government set September 2025 as the cut off date for crop loan waiver upto Rs 2 lakh. But what about farmers who list crops after September 2025? The government should adopt a flexible policy. Otherwise majority of farmers will be financially wrecked.”
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Already West Asia crisis is looming large with export of farm produce delayed or cancelled. Farmers have to cope with the additional financial burden incurred on transport and labour cost. The produce is going to domestic markets, resulting in the decline of prices, Shetti said.
“If the government continues to ignore farmers’ concerns, we will take to the streets. We held a meeting and will finalise our strategy next week, he warned.
What is the govt stand?
Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis said the government will provide all necessary help to farmers to override the crisis posed by climatic challenges. Revenue Minister Chandrashekhar Bawankule has assured that the panchanama to access the exact crop damage to farmers will be done soon to provide relief to farmers.
Deputy Chief Minister Sunetra Pawar on Sunday interacted with farmers in her home constituency Baramati.
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During the budget session, the government had announced a Rs 35,000-crore package to farmers as crop loan waiver up to Rs 2 lakh to 40 lakh farmers and an incentive of Rs 50,000 incentive to farmers who regularly pay loans.
