Konkan’s Alphonso crop collapses, farmers left without markets

Erratic weather slashes yields by up to 80%, making even transport to Pune and Mumbai unviable.Pune, Maharashtra: March is about to end, but not a single mango from the orchards of Mandar Khedkar (35) has reached Pune.Khedkar, who maintains orchards in Sangameshwar and Ratnagiri talukas of Ratnagiri district in the Konkan region of Maharashtra, said his orchards have failed to yield enough mangoes to cover transport costs.“Even if I send mangoes to the markets of Pune, I would end up paying for transport…there simply would not be enough quality to cover costs. In my 20 years of active farming, this would be the first time I am faced with such a situation,” he said.By March, Khedkar normally harvests 30 boxes (each with four dozen mangoes) per day, but this year only a few trees have yielded fruit.“In a week, I am able to harvest about 10-15 boxes only. I would end up paying from my pocket for labour,” he said.Mango farmers have complained of unusually high losses which has completely thrown their plan for marketing away (Photo - Partha Sarathi Biswas, 101Reporters)Disrupted seasonKonkan, the coastal region of Maharashtra, is home to the Hapus, or Alphonso, mango. In 2018, the mango earned a Geographical Indication (GI) tag due to its origin and specialty. While Karnataka also grows a similar variety, growers in Konkan have waged a legal and publicity battle against the use of the trademark ‘Hapus’ by others.By mid-March, Konkan farmers are usually ready to sell their produce in the markets of Pune and Mumbai, with exporters shipping mangoes to the United States, Europe and the Middle East. India exports, on average, 25,000-27,000 tonnes of mangoes annually, with the Maharashtra State Agricultural Marketing Board running treatment facilities in Vashi in Navi Mumbai and in Ratnagiri to support exporters.But this year, farmers like Khedkar say they have neither enough for the local market nor for exports.Anand Desai (54), who has been in the business for 30 years, said this was the worst season he has seen. Desai, who owns orchards in Pavas village in Ratnagiri taluka, said there is hardly anything to sell.“Almost 80% of the mango crop is gone. What we have left is not enough even for the local market, we have no strategy ready,” he said.Unlike other horticulture crops like pomegranate, mango orchards yield only once a year, and farmers depend on both quality and quantity. Hapus mangoes from Konkan fetch higher prices because of their “unique taste and flavour”.Organisations like the Konkan Hapus Amba Utpakad Vitkreda Sangh, a cooperative of growers, have helped farmers register their orchards and obtain GI tags. Maharashtra alone has over 300 farmers and cooperatives with GI-registered produce.Khedkar said he spends around Rs 4 lakh per year maintaining his orchards. To break even, production should be around 1,000 boxes.“I am not sure if I will get even half that number,” he said. To hire a large truck to Pune’s wholesale market, a minimum of 4-5 tonnes of mangoes is required.“At present, the rate in Pune’s market is around Rs 6,000-Rs 8,000 per box. But I do not have the quantity to fill a truck,” he said. Agriculture officers in Ratnagiri said this would be a highly unusual season, with little produce available for bulk marketing.Former MP and farm leader Raju Shetti highlighted the issue during a rasta roko in Sindhudurg on March 23 and demanded compensation for farmers who stand to lose a year’s income due to climatic causes. Raju Shetti, the former MP and Farm leader has highlighted the situation during his rasta roko on March 23 (Photo - Partha Sarathi Biswas, 101Reporters)Dr Vivek Bhide, chairman of the Sangh, blamed climate change. “It has become a pattern, the only constant is uncertainty. This year has been exceptionally bad. It was going all right till December, but the sudden dip in temperature in January-February changed the picture,” he said.The first flowering, called mohar, requires temperatures of 19-24°C for fruit to set. This year, temperatures dipped below 10°C, causing flowers to drop. Early morning dew also led to fungal attacks.“Before anything could be done, the damage was already done. By now, our members would be ready with their marketing plans, this year they do not even have fruit to market. Some have even sent back migrant labourers from North India and Nepal,” he said.Nilesh Pujari (40), a farmer from Devgad taluka who maintains an orchard of 1,000 plants, said unusual flowering affected yields.“The flowering was good, but I later realised they were mostly male flowers. While this is not visible to the naked eye, failure of fruit formation indicates a higher proportion of male flowers—they simply wilt away,” he said.“In my 20 years of experience, I have never seen such a season, as if everything has come together to wreck the orchards.”He estimates only 20% of the usual produce will be available.“I will be supplying to Pune, but that would be later in April. We have farmer groups pooling produce to share costs,” he said. Pujari usually starts selling by mid-February but has not begun sales this year. “Most likely, I will start after April 1,” he said.Unlike other horticulture crops like pomegranate, mango orchards yield only once a year, and farmers depend on both quality and quantity (Photo - Partha Sarathi Biswas, 101Reporters)Dry marketsBy this time every year, Avinash Desai’s (50) orchards near Ganpatipule would have started supplying premium mangoes to Mumbai and Pune. This year, he has not begun the season.“It’s the same story. I will consider myself lucky if I get even 10% of the usual produce. Traders and exporters are calling, but I have no fruit to send,” he said.At the Vashi wholesale market in Navi Mumbai, the season has been extremely slow. Market officials said only around 500 boxes were available during Gudi Padva, compared to the usual 50,000 boxes from Konkan alone.“By now, supply should have reached one lakh boxes, the numbers are still in the hundreds,” an official said.Exports, too, are expected to be hit. Kaushal Khakar, CEO of Kay Bee Exports, said exports would be about half of usual levels.“The Konkan crop is really bad, though our orchards in Ahilyanagar district are doing well. The ongoing geopolitical situation has added another layer of difficulty. Air freight has doubled, with per-dozen costs quoted at Rs 4,000 compared to Rs 200 last year,” he said.Exports have begun, but slowly. “Sea freight connectivity to the Middle East is completely stopped,” he said.Cover photo - Konkan and its growers say they might not have even 20 percent of their normal produce (Photo - Partha Sarathi Biswas, 101Reporters)

Climate shifts, changing pest patterns drive up costs for Maharashtra’s farmers

Across Maharashtra, growers of cotton, cane and horticulture crops report rising infestations, higher pesticide costs and shrinking marginsPune, Maharashtra: “Pests here have nine lives,” Ganesh Nanote (55), a farmer from Nimbara village in Maharashtra’s Akola district, told 101Reporters.“Only repeated application of pesticides can bring them under control,” Nanote said, adding that this has increased the cost of cultivation on his 20 acres of cotton.He grows soyabean on the remaining 10 acres of his holding. He added that the problem has become acute over the last five to ten years.“Pink bollworm (Pectinophora gossypiella), the dreaded pest of cotton, has made a comeback since 2017 — but what concerns me the most are sucking pests such as thrips (Thrips tabaci) and jassids (Amrasca biguttula biguttula). Infestation seems to be increasing year on year,” he said.Pink bollworm has made a reappearance in cotton since 2017, said Ganesh Nanote (Photo - Partha Sarathi Biswas, 101Reporters)Nanote’s agricultural practices are well known in the area, with many farmers trying to emulate them for better yields. Over the years, he has developed a set of practices that allows him to achieve high yields at relatively lower costs. For local farmers, Nanote is a “subject matter expert”, and they often turn to him for advice on improving yields.“It’s my habit to keep a notebook from the day I start land preparation till the last bale of cotton is sold. It helps me calculate my cost of cultivation and assess the economics of farming. Just a few days back, when I was finalising my costs for the 2025-26 season, I saw that my spending on pesticides had come to Rs 5,000 per acre. This is almost double what I spent on pest control 10 years ago. If I do the maths, my returns are not that high,” he said.This re-emergence of pests, Nanote said, is largely due to erratic monsoon patterns and climate change. Pink bollworm has returned after nearly 12 years, adding to farmers’ distress.“I have noticed that in years when rainfall is timely, pest attacks are lower, but that has become rare. The monsoon now has a new pattern every year. Pest attacks increase during long dry spells. Pink bollworm, which was mostly a winter pest, has now started appearing as early as July. This year, I had to use pesticides to control it as early as August, this was new for me. If this continues, I do not know how I will sustain farming,” he said.He is not alone. Nanda Dake (45), who cultivates five acres of cotton in Kajla village in Jalna’s Badnapur taluka, has faced similar challenges.Dake is wary of pesticide use and fears its long-term impact. “But there is no other way. To get fair yields, we need at least five to six pickings. If pesticide use is reduced, we would not get more than two,” she said.Every year brings a new pest attack, and if not controlled in time, she risks losing her entire crop.Vishal Misal says they are able to afford the high cost of production thanks to better prices but if prices drop he would have to rethink his strategy (Photo - Partha Sarathi Biswas, 101Reporters)The bitter trouble of cane growersAround 500 km from Akola, sugarcane farmers in Sangli are also grappling with rising pest attacks.Dr Ankush Chormule, a plant entomologist who has been actively farming since 2017, was surprised to find sugarcane mite (Abacarus sacchari) in his eight acres of cane last year.Ankush Chormule say now sugarcane is also prone to pest attacks (Photo - Partha Sarathi Biswas, 101Reporters)“It could have caused significant damage if not controlled. Agriculture today is full of unseen risks. For farmers, unseasonal rains are not the only concern, pests and the rising cost of controlling them are equally worrying,” he said.Chormule, who farms in Asta town in Walva taluka of Sangli district, is part of a farmers’ collective promoting improved agricultural practices.“Changing rainfall patterns and rising temperatures are only part of the problem. The bigger issue is pests and the increasing cost of managing them,” he said.When he began farming, pest control costs in sugarcane were negligible.“Sugarcane is a hardy crop. Earlier, apart from minor sucking pest infestations, there were few issues. Now, every year we have to spend substantial amounts on pest control. On average, I spend Rs 4,000 per acre,” he said. Whiteflies, woolly aphids and borers have become common.As an entomologist, Chormule said pests have either developed resistance or evolved over time. “Their life cycles have changed, making them harder to control.”He pointed to white grub (Holotrichia consanguinea), which has now become a year-round infestation.“This pest is like a Trojan horse. The larvae feed on roots, causing the crop to lodge. Once the damage is done, it is very difficult to control. Earlier, grubs were seen between June and August, now they are present throughout the year,” he said.Earlier, ploughing fields before planting helped control grubs. “Now that is not enough. We have to rely on pesticides, increasing the cost of cultivation,” he added.The cycle of changeErratic rainfall and climate change have intensified pest attacks across crops. From newly emerging pests like sugarcane mites to the resurgence of jassids, farmers are spending more on pest control than before.Cash and horticulture crops such as cotton, sugarcane, tomato and pomegranate are particularly affected, as their returns are closely tied to yields. Dake said that if yields fall, she risks losing her entire investment.Data from Maharashtra’s Economic Surveys between 2009 and 2024 show pesticide usage ranging between 9,000 tonnes and 16,000 tonnes annually. The highest usage,  16,389 tonnes, was recorded in 2017-’18, coinciding with the resurgence of pink bollworm.In 2023-’24, pesticide usage fell to 8,718 tonnes, a year officially declared as drought-affected.Maharashtra has recorded the highest pesticide consumption in the country over the past five years, according to data from the Directorate of Plant Protection, Quarantine and Storage.Dr Indra Mani, vice-chancellor of Vasantrao Naik Marathwada Krishi Vidyapeeth, said pest patterns have become increasingly unpredictable.“Pest dynamics and climate change are closely linked. We have to accept this as the new normal,” he said.Scientists at the university said pink bollworm has re-emerged as pests have developed resistance to existing genetically modified cotton varieties.“Every technology has a lifespan. The pest has now grown resistant. While newer technologies are yet to reach farmers, integrated pest management (IPM) must be adopted. Pesticides alone are not the solution,” Mani said.He added that erratic climate patterns favour pest growth and that farmers must carefully manage sowing timelines.“Our approach is to minimise losses and protect farmers. Our advisories are designed accordingly,” he said.For cotton, he said, pest cycles can be disrupted if farmers remove crop residue after December.“Many farmers delay this to get an extra picking. That must be avoided,” he said.Ganesh Nazirkar says tomato growers have seen a drastic rise in pesticide usage (Photo - Partha Sarathi Biswas, 101Reporters)Vegetables and fruits not immuneGanesh Nazirkar (37), a tomato grower and agricultural trainer from Gokhali village in Satara’s Phaltan taluka, said pest attacks have increased sharply since 2016-17.“Tomato has two main seasons, summer and kharif, and we are seeing pest attacks in both,” he said.High temperatures in summer have worsened infestations.“In regions like Junnar and Sangamner, temperatures now cross 40°C. Pests like Tuta absoluta, which were earlier uncommon, have become widespread,” he said.There are no definitive control measures. Farmers rely on repeated sprays costing around Rs 6,000 per acre.Meanwhile, common pests like whiteflies and thrips have developed resistance.“Earlier, one or two sprays were enough. Now multiple applications and constant monitoring are required,” he said.Tomato cultivation is highly input-intensive, with pesticide costs alone reaching Rs 25,000 per acre.“During summer, my pesticide cost went up to Rs 40,000 per acre,” he said.Crop interdependence has added new challenges. Cauliflower, once considered relatively pest-resistant, is now affected by diamondback moth (Plutella xylostella).“Cauliflower leaves also shelter whiteflies, which then spread to tomato crops,” he said.Whiteflies have also been linked to the spread of Tomato Mosaic Virus.“All of this is connected to climate change. The risks are increasing,” he said.Pomegranate farmer Vishal Misal (35) from Solapur’s Sangola taluka has seen his pesticide costs rise from Rs 20,000 per acre in 2005 to Rs 75,000 today.“There has been a steady increase. Between 2019 and 2020, a severe attack of Fusarium solani and pinhole borer devastated orchards. I had to stop cultivation and restart in 2023,” he said.Earlier, pesticides were applied once a month. Now, spraying is required every 8–10 days.“Earlier, generic pesticides worked. Now pests have evolved, and newer, costlier chemicals are needed,” he said.Pomegranate farmers largely depend on export markets, where prices range between Rs 60 and Rs 120 per kg, compared to Rs 30-50 domestically.“At present, we can manage because returns are good. But if prices fall, it will become difficult,” he said.This story was produced as a part of 101Reporters Climate Change Reporting Grant. Cover photo - Ganesh Nanote says his cost of production has spiralled due to increased usage of pesticides (Photo - Partha Sarathi Biswas, 101Reporters)

Maize ethanol shift squeezes sugar mills, cane farmers question falling payments

A rise in maize-based ethanol procurement has left sugar mills with idle capacity and cane farmers worried about lower or delayed payments.Pune, Maharashtra: When Madhavrao Roasaheb Kadam (43) approached the private sugar mill in his area in January to ask why the declared payment for sugarcane was lower than expected, the answer unsettled him. The farmer from Akoli village in Basmath taluka of Hingoli district in Maharashtra was told that the mill would not be able to pay more because the “ethanol” it had manufactured was not being purchased by the government.“Millers in districts of Kolhapur and Sangli are paying Rs 3,500 per tonne and in our region the payment is just about Rs 2,500 per tonne. The mill said they would not be able to pay more than this and the lower than expected revenue from ethanol is to be blamed. They promised to pay us more when they are able to raise more funds but maybe it would happen later in the season,” said Kadam, who grows cane on one acre of his four-acre holding. He grows soyabean, chana (Bengal gram) and wheat on the remaining land.The explanation did not convince him. “It seems odd. The mill has invested a substantial amount to set up the new ethanol plant, but when it comes to paying the farmers they always have an excuse,” he said.The apprehension among farmers is echoed within the industry. Bhairavnath B Thomabre, president of the West Indian Sugar Millers Association (WISMA), which represents private sugar mills in Maharashtra and Gujarat, said the industry is under strain.“The sugar industry is now facing financial stress. At present, mills in Maharashtra have run up unpaid dues of over Rs 4,000 crore. The industry is unable to clear farmers’ dues in time,” he said.Ethanol, stabilising revenueUnlike most other crops, sugarcane farmers are assured payment in the form of the Fair and Remunerative Price (FRP). The Sugarcane Control Order of 1966 mandates that payment must be made within 14 days of cane delivery, failing which mills can face action including attachment of property for revenue recovery. Mills failing to pay is therefore a warning sign for both farmers and millers.For the sugar industry, ethanol had emerged as a stabilising revenue stream. Produced by fermentation of carbohydrates, ethanol is blended with petrol to reduce emissions and curb fossil fuel imports. While sugar mills had long produced ethanol as a byproduct, production accelerated after 2018 when Oil Marketing Companies (OMCs) became assured buyers.Ethanol in the sugar industry can be manufactured directly from sugarcane juice or from B-heavy and C molasses, the byproducts obtained after sugar extraction. Procurement from higher sugar-content feedstock encouraged mills to divert excess sugar into ethanol.The central government incentivised the setting up and expansion of ethanol capacity in sugar mills, including through interest subvention on loans for new projects. Industry sources estimate total investments at around Rs 40,000 crore across the country. More than the interest support, it was the assurance of a stable market that encouraged mills to invest and diversify.“The sudden change in policy for ethanol procurement is not good for farmers or millers. Mills are unable to utilise their distilleries at full capacity and are thus stuck,” Thomabre said.Distilleries attached to sugar mills produce ethanol as a byproduct (Photo - Partha Sarathi Biswas, 101Reporters)Policy shift towards maizeThe drought of 2019-20 saw a decline in sugarcane area and ethanol output. Subsequently, the government began augmenting ethanol production from food grains such as maize and broken rice, often referred to as second-generation (2G) ethanol.In November 2020, the government permitted the use of maize as a feedstock for ethanol production. Over the past few years, OMC procurement from maize-based units has increased steadily.Unlike the financial year, the Ethanol Supply Year (ESY) runs from December 1 to November 30.In ESY 2022-23, maize-based ethanol manufacturers were given a target of 2.70 crore litres but supplied 31.51 crore litres. By ESY 2023-24, allocation rose sharply to 205.88 crore litres, with actual supplies touching 289.91 crore litres.The shift became more pronounced in ESY 2024-25. OMCs allocated 520.27 crore litres to maize-based ethanol and procured 419.97 crore litres. The sugar industry, by contrast, was allocated 349.97 crore litres and supplied 306.7 crore litres. In pricing terms too, maize-based distilleries have received better rates compared to sugar-based units.Maize acreage has expanded year on year, with kharif 2025 touching a record 71.21 lakh hectares.Underutilised capacityFor the sugar industry, the shift in ethanol procurement has translated into underutilised capacity. Maharashtra industry sources said that of roughly 300 crore litres of distillery capacity, only about one-third is currently being used.A tentative survey by the National Federation of Cooperative Sugar Factories Association showed that against an installed distillery capacity of 1,822 crore litres with sugar mills, only 1,003.1 crore litres was utilised in ESY 2024-25.A Maharashtra miller described the situation as uncertain. “Sugar millers have loans to service and the assured payment from ethanol helped both in clearing farmers’ dues as well as servicing those loans. Now, as capacities lie idle, we are not sure of the financial future of distilleries,” he said.Vijendra Singh, executive director of Renuka Sugars Limited, which operates in Maharashtra and Karnataka, called for equitable distribution. “Ultimately, sugar millers pay their farmers… thus it is in the interest to ensure equitable allocation,” he said.Ethanol has come as a source of steady income for sugar millers to clear their farmers dues (Photo - Partha Sarathi Biswas, 101Reporters)Farmers fear lower paymentsThe uncertainty around ethanol is something Bhagvat Jadhav (38) has also heard cited repeatedly by millers in his region. Jadhav grows cane on four acres in Nave Khed village in Walwa taluka of Sangli district.“Mills here have higher recovery which is the percentage between sugar produced and cane crushed which determines the payment to farmers under the Sugarcane Control Order, 1966. So they are able to pay us Rs 3,500 per tonne. But they say they would not be able to continue the payment trend for the entire season,” he said.Jadhav, who is an active member of the farmer’s union Swambimani Shetkari Sanghatana, alleged that the explanation could be a pretext. “The Sanghatna would hit the roads if any move is made in our region to lower the payment,” he said.For farmers like Kadam, the policy shift has immediate consequences. “Cane is the only crop which has assured payment. Now the mills are trying to use the guise of ethanol to get away from better payment. For us farmers this sudden change in payment is out of the blue,” he said.Cover photo - Sugarcane is the only crop which has assured payment for farmers (Photo - Partha Sarathi Biswas, 101Reporters)

Soyabean, the golden bean, which has left farmers in the red

Unseasonal rains, falling yields and prices below MSP are pushing farmers to rethink India’s most widely grown kharif cropNanded, Maharashtra: Yuvraj Patil (43) feels that after growing soyabean for over 15 years, it may be time to look for alternatives. A farmer from Shelgaon village in Ardhapur taluka of Maharashtra’s Nanded district, Patil says his net loss from agriculture this year has crossed Rs 10 lakh.Patil cultivates custard apple on eight acres, papaya on two acres, sugarcane on 10 acres and soyabean on another 10 acres, over his total landholding of 30 acres. This year, he says, he has suffered losses in all crops barring sugarcane. Soyabean, however, has been the most consistent source of loss.“I normally grow soyabean over 10 acres. But this would be the third year in a row when the crop has failed to even recover the cost of production. I am not sure how long I will be able to continue with it,” he said.Soyabean, the most widely grown kharif crop for farmers in Maharashtra and Madhya Pradesh, has turned unreliable for cultivators like Patil who have grown it for years. Once seen as a stable, high-return oilseed, soyabean had spread rapidly across regions, particularly in Marathwada and Vidarbha, before expanding into parts of north Maharashtra and even the sugarcane belt of western Maharashtra.The crop grows well in both black cotton and red laterite soils and requires an average rainfall of 500-700 mm during the season. After Madhya Pradesh, Maharashtra has the second-largest area under soyabean cultivation in the country, with farmers growing it over 38–42 lakh hectares during the kharif season. Nationally, soyabean is grown over around 120 lakh hectares.But the kharif season of 2025 saw a decline in acreage. As against 124.24 lakh hectares reported in kharif 2024, soyabean acreage fell to 119.51 lakh hectares in 2025—a year-on-year decline of about five per cent.Farmers and experts attribute this steady dip to a combination of unseasonal weather events and persistently low prices.Due to the rains farmers have reported quality and quantity loss of the grain. The darker grains are of inferior quality and results in lower price (Photo - Partha Sarathi Biswas, 101Reporters)Falling yieldsFor Patil, this would be the third consecutive year in which soyabean prices have remained below the government-declared Minimum Support Price (MSP). Against an MSP of Rs 5,328 per quintal, mandi prices at Latur’s wholesale market are currently between Rs 4,800 and Rs 4,900 per quintal.But prices are only part of the problem. Farmers across regions say prolonged and unseasonal rains during October, when soyabean is ready for harvest, have caused both yield losses and deterioration in quality.“Invariably, it rains during October when the crop is ready for harvest. In parts of Nanded, where farmlands are close to rivers, farmers have reported 100% crop loss,” Patil said. “Farmers in low-lying areas have started skipping kharif sowing altogether and are going directly for rabi chana.”While unseasonal rains have occurred earlier as well, farmers say their frequency and intensity have increased over the past three years. Prices, meanwhile, have remained depressed throughout this period.“On average, yields have dropped from 10 quintals per acre to just four or five quintals,” Patil said. “With a cost of production of around Rs 25,000 per acre, we are barely able to recover our costs at current prices. Labour charges have increased drastically.”Patil said he has considered shifting to other crops, but limited market access remains a constraint. “Unlike Pune or Nashik, we don’t have markets for vegetables. The options are maize or jowar, but returns from both are limited,” he said.Patil runs an agricultural input shop in his village and says this has become his primary source of income. “If losses continue, I will have to rethink my agricultural practices,” he said.Soya bean growers have complained of loss of yield and lower prices for the last three years (Photo - Partha Sarathi Biswas, 101Reporters)DiversifyingIn Kajla village of Badnapur taluka in Jalna district, Balasaheb Dake (30) has started a small ghee manufacturing unit using milk from indigenous cows. Dake cultivates soyabean and cotton over his 16-acre holding and said the new business is meant to offset losses from farming, particularly soyabean.“We have been growing soyabean for generations. But over the last three years, I haven’t made any money because of post-harvest losses,” he said. Dake has also diverted half an acre of land for moringa plantation and has started practising as a criminal lawyer in the Jalna district court to supplement his income.“Soyabean was the golden crop…we doubled our investment in several years. But both prices and yields have eroded our trust in it,” he said.Dr Indra Mani, vice chancellor of the Vasantrao Naik Marathwada Agriculture University in Parbhani, said the soyabean harvest period of October-November has begun coinciding with the return monsoon. “We have to accept that this is the new normal. The vagaries of the monsoon can’t be denied,” he said.According to Mani, these rains lead to both quantity and quality losses. “The crop is facing problems. We need strategies to bridge this gap,” he said.Dr Anupam Kashyapi, former head of weather forecasting at the India Meteorological Department, said rainfall extending through October is not normal. “Rain in late September and early October is expected, but in recent years it has continued throughout October,” he said, adding that climate change could be a factor, though further research is needed.“Farmers plan agriculture based on monsoon cycles. Unseasonal rains disrupt harvesting and cause losses,” Kashyapi said.After Indore, Latur is the second-largest soyabean-growing region in the country. Farmers there have historically reported some of the highest per-acre yields, with several Farmer Producer Companies selling directly to processors and bypassing mandis.Yet even in Latur, farmers say confidence in the crop is eroding.“Our region is suited for soyabean. We have multiple solvent extraction and oil expeller units, and Latur’s market sets prices nationally,” said Vilas Uphade (39), a farmer from Takli village in Latur district who has grown soyabean for over 20 years.“This would be the fourth straight year of loss for me. Even now, I’m selling below MSP. This year too, it rained during harvest,” Uphade said. He reported yields of eight quintals per acre, against his usual 15 quintals. “Quality deterioration is a major issue. Beans are spotted or inferior because of rain during harvest.”Soyabean cultivation began in Latur in the late 1970s, after drought devastated cotton crops. The oilseed was introduced by oil expellers seeking to expand their business, and acreage expanded steadily due to better returns.“We had a good run,” Uphade said. “But now it feels like nature itself wants us to give up the crop.”Vilas Uphade(third from left) says soya bean is becoming a problem for farmers but they are yet to get alternatives (Photo - Partha Sarathi Biswas, 101Reporters)Shrinking marginsThe current soyabean marketing season has again begun with prices below MSP. Naresh Goenka, vice-president of the Indore-based Soyabean Processors Association (SOPA), said easy availability of imported edible oil has depressed domestic prices.In September 2025, SOPA wrote to the Union agriculture minister seeking an increase in import duty on edible oils from 10% to 20%. The association flagged declining oilseed acreage and urged government intervention to ensure better returns for farmers.A solvent extraction unit owner in Latur, speaking on condition of anonymity, said farmers would gradually move away from soyabean if returns do not improve.In its letter, SOPA stated that continuous inflow of cheap imported edible oils had depressed domestic oilseed prices and discouraged farmers from sustaining or expanding cultivation. The association pointed to a visible decline in acreage and noted that prices remained below MSP throughout the marketing year, forcing the government to intervene through procurement. Even then, procurement stocks had to be liquidated at a loss.Beyond oil, soyabean is also used to produce soyameal, a key protein source for animal feed, particularly poultry. Feed manufacturers have increasingly begun substituting soyameal with Distillers Dried Grains with Solubles (DDGS), a by-product of grain-based ethanol production.With the government’s push for ethanol blending, DDGS availability has increased, and processors say this has further weakened demand for soyameal.Limited reliefTo support farmers, the central government, through the National Agricultural Cooperative Marketing Federation (NAFED), has procured soyabean at MSP. However, many farmers say the Fair and Average Quality norms, 10% moisture, 3% damaged grains and 2% foreign matter, are difficult to meet, particularly after unseasonal rains.NAFED has reported procurement of over 3.6 lakh tonnes of soyabean in Maharashtra till January 7.In Akoli Jahangir village of Akot taluka in Akola district, Lalit Patil has steadily reduced the area under soyabean from 20 acres to around 10 acres. “The crop is no longer viable. Either it rains during harvest or prices are far below expectations,” he said.“Farmers who can have shifted to turmeric or sugarcane, but most cannot. Either they lack irrigation or market access,” he added. Lalit Patil and other members of the Shetkari Sanghatana said better technology, including genetically modified seeds, could help improve outcomes.In parts of Pune district, such as Ambegaon, Junnar and Khed, soyabean continues to be grown as a rotation crop. Ashok Bhor (40), a farmer from Ranjane village in Ambegaon taluka, grows soyabean on one acre of his four-acre holding.“Soyabean helps improve soil fertility, so farmers use it in rotation with cash crops,” said Bhor, who is also a director of the Bhimashankar Farmers Producer Company.His village has around 100 acres under soyabean cultivation, but farmers there too have faced losses due to heavy October rains. “Farmers here often diversify into vegetables or onions for quicker returns,” Bhor said. With farmers gradually moving away from soyabean, he said FPCs formed around the crop are being forced to explore other business models.Dr Mani said agricultural universities are promoting strategies such as early and late sowing, short-duration varieties and intercropping soyabean with tur to help farmers manage weather risks. Varieties suited for mechanised harvesting are also being promoted.“Our research focuses on climate-resilient varieties that can be harvested in a shorter time span,” he said.Cover photo - Soyabean is the one of the most important Kharif crops with farmers across the state reporting over 38 lakh hectares of sowing (Photo - Partha Sarathi Biswas, 101Reporters)