Mumbai, Jul 10 (PTI) In light of the increasing damage to orchards caused by climate change, the Maharashtra government will implement a crop cover scheme to compensate affected farmers, Agriculture Minister Manikrao Kokate said in the assembly on Thursday.
The announcement came in response to a debate on a calling attention notice by NCP (SP) MLA Rohit Patil, who highlighted the adverse effects of unseasonal rains on grape cultivation.
"Grape growers in the state are facing serious challenges due to changing weather patterns. The National Grape Research Centre in Pune is continuously monitoring the situation and offering expert advice to mitigate the impact of climate change on vineyards. A meeting will soon be convened to discuss provision of necessary facilities to grape farmers. Representatives of insurance companies will also be invited," Kokate said.
There are 1.23 lakh hectares of grape cultivation in Maharashtra, yielding approximately 24.89 lakh metric tonnes of production, he said.
Major grape-producing districts include Nashik, Sangli, Solapur, Ahilyanagar, and Dharashiv.
The minister informed the House that damage assessments (panchnamas) have already been conducted for vineyards affected by unseasonal rains, and compensation has been extended as per existing government norms.
He assured that all eligible grape orchard farmers whose panchnamas are completed will receive assistance accordingly.
The government has decided to install weather stations in every village, enabling farmers to access timely and accurate weather information, he added.