Farmers watch yrs of work dry up as drought hits Maharashtra's fruit belts, Pg12

Key Highlights:

• Maharashtra recorded an 18% rainfall deficit between June 1 and September 26; drought or drought-like conditions were declared in 304 of its 358 talukas.
• In Vidarbha's Linga village, orange growers are plucking immature fruit to reduce the water needs of stressed trees.
• Rain in major citrus belts like Vidarbha was deficient by around 30-40% this year, per ICAR-Central Citrus Research Institute, Nagpur.
• Normal citrus yields average about 13 tonnes per hectare; affected orchards could fall to seven or eight tonnes.
• The institute warned of substantial losses in both the Ambia and Mrig flowering cycles of citrus cultivation.
• Trees dried beyond recovery must be uprooted, and a new orchard takes around four years to yield its first harvest.

Detailed Insights:

• Jalna, Beed and Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar in Marathwada, once known for sweet lime, have lost orchards to repeated droughts in 2012 and 2014 and pest attacks.
• Sweet lime is selling in limited quantities at Rs 35 per kg, and the state may depend on supplies from states like Andhra Pradesh this year.
• Scientists explain that under water scarcity, plants use available moisture for survival rather than fruit growth, shrinking fruit size and raising plant mortality.
• ICAR-CCRI's director stressed that rain distribution matters more than totals, and that agricultural drought and hydrological drought are different.
• Drought declaration in India follows the Manual for Drought Management, which uses indicators such as rainfall deficiency, dry spells and soil moisture.
• The Nagpur orange, a Geographical Indication-tagged produce, anchors Vidarbha's citrus economy.

Key Concepts Involved:

• Agricultural drought: Soil-moisture shortage during the crop season that stresses crops, distinct from meteorological and hydrological drought.
• Ambia and Mrig bahar: The two main flowering seasons of citrus in India, tied to monsoon and post-monsoon cycles.
• Manual for Drought Management: The national guide prescribing indicators and steps for declaring drought and triggering relief.
• Geographical Indication tag: A sign linking a product's reputation to its region of origin, such as the Nagpur orange.