Most of the farmers had no option and they were just wating the monsoons. Their sad faces and empty fields were showing their misery.

Some of the farmers sowed seeds anticipating the time for rains but rains failed to arrive and the seeds rotted without rains. Many of the farmers are planning to buy the seeds for second sowing (dobar perni).

The spell of crop-failure continues in Vidarbha. This area has seen an unwavering decline in production and increase in costs in the last few seasons. There were heavy unseasonal rains and hailstorms in February-April this year that led to widespread damage.

This time Vidarbha Region is facing dry spell. What should have ideally been the peak of monsoon has not even seen a proper beginning….! In addition to it, the temperature has gone up to 47 degrees. Most of the farmers have no option but to wait for the monsoons. Their sad faces and empty fields show their misery.

The Kharif season specially cotton, soybean, tuur sowing season is in full swing. The farmers (those who had irrigation facility) sowed cotton, soybean and other crop seeds with the help of water from the well. But, the water isn’t sufficient for irrigation at further stages of the crop. HYV seeds demand more water and have deteriorated in their growth. Farmers have already started to anticipate their losses.

Another group of farmers (which is a big number) who do not have irrigation facilities and depend on the rain to do all their farming activities underwent more losses. Most of them sowed seeds anticipating the time for rains but rains failed to arrive and the seeds rotted without rains. Many of the farmers are planning to buy the seeds for second sowing (dobar perni). Earlier re-sowing seeds was not expensive because traditional seeds were owned locally/saved by the farmers. In these conditions (dobar perni) they have to reinvest thousands of rupees. And few of them were also saying that they won’t do farming for this particular season. What else to do for livelihood was the next thing that cropped up after they shared this view during the conversation….! This point of discussion makes them grim-faced and realizes their helplessness.

“The farmers took loans to buy seeds, fertilizers and pesticides early in June, but rain failure has ruined all the investments”. Their re-investment includes labor, tractor and seeds. Some of the farmers will be going for a second sowing; hoping that rains will revive in July!

Record shows that these kind of difficult situations have led to farmer suicides. What can the agriculture dept. expect this time- “somehow to survive this season as an institution and community” and not meet similar fate as earlier…..!