Pune: Soaring temperatures have adversely affected vegetable crops in many parts of Maharashtra, leading to higher incidence of diseases in tomatoes and causing heat stress in others, representatives from the Vegetables Growers’ Association of India said.
“Fruiting process has been impacted with continuous high temperatures, causing burns in leaves and flowers of vegetable plants. Extreme heat is also increasing incidence of diseases in crops. We predict an adverse impact on tomatoes in a month’s time as the yield is falling constantly,” Shriram Gadhave , the president of Vegetables Growers’ Association of India, told TOI.
Gadhave said as per rough estimates, nearly 50% tomato yield has been affected in the state due to extreme heat. “High temperatures have affected other vegetable crops too,” he said.
Vilas Shinde, director, Sahyadri Farmer Producer Group, which has 1,5000 farmers under its wing, told TOI, “Farmers in the group have recorded a 30% reduction in vegetable yield so far this summer. Day temperatures have been above 40°C on many days, which has caused a significant stress to vegetable crops, affecting yield and quality. Ideal temperature for vegetable crops should be in the range of 25-35°C. When temperatures remain high for many days, even the water requirement in plants shoots up.”
With water shortage issue in some farms in Nashik, the problem has only worsened, Shinde said, adding that less yield has caused a rise in prices of some crops like tomatoes, gourds, leafy greens, capsicum and chillies.
Subodh Zende, a vegetable wholesaler in Market Yard, said vegetable supplies in Market Yard have been stable so far, but there could be an impact on supplies and prices next week. “Day temperatures have crossed 40°C in Pune city. When temperatures are this high in the city, they tend to be much higher in villages. Farmers have, thus, reported a drop in vegetable yield,” said Zende.
Wheat and gram supplies to Maharashtra from Madhya Pradesh, Rajasthan and Punjab have also been affected, causing a rise in the prices of these staples.
Ashish Nahar, a grain wholesaler in Market Yard, said extreme heat in North India has caused a reduction in wheat yield. “A surge in India’s wheat exports has also curtailed supplies of the grain within the country. Temperatures that are usually experienced in May are being recorded in March-April this time around, adversely affecting yield by about 20% in rabi crops like wheat and grams. Due to lower supplies, wheat prices have surged by Rs 5-6/kg, chana prices have increased 4-5/kg in the Pune’s retail market in the last one month,” Nahar said.
“Fruiting process has been impacted with continuous high temperatures, causing burns in leaves and flowers of vegetable plants. Extreme heat is also increasing incidence of diseases in crops. We predict an adverse impact on tomatoes in a month’s time as the yield is falling constantly,” Shriram Gadhave , the president of Vegetables Growers’ Association of India, told TOI.
Gadhave said as per rough estimates, nearly 50% tomato yield has been affected in the state due to extreme heat. “High temperatures have affected other vegetable crops too,” he said.
Vilas Shinde, director, Sahyadri Farmer Producer Group, which has 1,5000 farmers under its wing, told TOI, “Farmers in the group have recorded a 30% reduction in vegetable yield so far this summer. Day temperatures have been above 40°C on many days, which has caused a significant stress to vegetable crops, affecting yield and quality. Ideal temperature for vegetable crops should be in the range of 25-35°C. When temperatures remain high for many days, even the water requirement in plants shoots up.”
With water shortage issue in some farms in Nashik, the problem has only worsened, Shinde said, adding that less yield has caused a rise in prices of some crops like tomatoes, gourds, leafy greens, capsicum and chillies.
Subodh Zende, a vegetable wholesaler in Market Yard, said vegetable supplies in Market Yard have been stable so far, but there could be an impact on supplies and prices next week. “Day temperatures have crossed 40°C in Pune city. When temperatures are this high in the city, they tend to be much higher in villages. Farmers have, thus, reported a drop in vegetable yield,” said Zende.
Wheat and gram supplies to Maharashtra from Madhya Pradesh, Rajasthan and Punjab have also been affected, causing a rise in the prices of these staples.
Ashish Nahar, a grain wholesaler in Market Yard, said extreme heat in North India has caused a reduction in wheat yield. “A surge in India’s wheat exports has also curtailed supplies of the grain within the country. Temperatures that are usually experienced in May are being recorded in March-April this time around, adversely affecting yield by about 20% in rabi crops like wheat and grams. Due to lower supplies, wheat prices have surged by Rs 5-6/kg, chana prices have increased 4-5/kg in the Pune’s retail market in the last one month,” Nahar said.
