Maharashtra Agriculture Minister Dattatray Bharane on Thursday, 24 September 2026, visited drought-affected fields in Sangamner taluka, Ahilyanagar district, inspecting damaged soybean crops at farmer Sopan Chakor's field in Pimple village and reaffirming the state government's commitment to ensuring farmers receive timely benefits under crop insurance, loan waiver, and relief programmes.

What the Minister Found on the Ground

District Superintendent Agriculture Officer Sudhakar Borale presented a sobering crop-status briefing. Soybean, sown across 113.03% of the target area, is at the pod-filling stage but suffering flat pods, small grain size, and wilting on light soils due to acute water stress.

Cotton was sown across 91.66% of the area; plants at the flowering and boll stage are experiencing flower drop along with sucking pest and pink bollworm infestations triggered by the dry spell. Maize, sown at a striking 163.34% of its target area, is at the cob-filling stage but faces stunted growth and yield loss. Kharif Bajra sowing reached 63.83%, with crops drying up in patches. Tur sowing at 134.32% has seen severely hindered growth, while Moong and Urad stand at 47.83% and 61.45% of sowing targets, respectively.

Government's Immediate Directives

Bharane directed the Agriculture and Revenue departments to act swiftly on crop insurance grievances during the ongoing Kharif season, emphasising that scheme benefits must reach farmers directly rather than through delayed administrative channels. He also instructed officials of the Maharashtra State Electricity Distribution Company Ltd (MSEDCL) to ensure transformers and distribution point (DP) units are made available without delay so that irrigation power supply remains uninterrupted.

According to the minister, the administration is responsible for delivering relief to farmers' doorsteps — covering agriculture, animal husbandry, fodder supply, and water scarcity. A comprehensive notification under the Central Disaster Management Division and the State Relief and Rehabilitation Department is expected to be issued shortly to extend consolidated assistance.

Minister's Personal Assurance to Farmers

Bharane, who described himself as a farmer, offered a personal assurance to distressed cultivators. 'Being a farmer myself, I understand your pain and situation. The government stands with you in this crisis and is committed to extending full support,' he said while comforting those whose crops have suffered total damage due to lack of rainfall.

Context and Broader Impact

The dry spell in Ahilyanagar district this Kharif season has hit multiple crops at critical growth stages simultaneously — an unusual convergence that agricultural officials say amplifies overall yield loss. Notably, several crops including Maize and Tur were sown well above target areas, indicating farmer confidence at the start of the season, which makes the drought damage particularly acute. This comes amid wider rainfall deficits reported across parts of Maharashtra, placing additional pressure on the state's crop insurance payout mechanisms and its rural credit infrastructure. All eyes are now on when the promised disaster management notification will be issued and how quickly insurance claims will be processed before the Kharif harvest window closes.