Bacteria blight hits pomegranate crop in Maharashtra

Bacterial blight has damaged pomegranate cultivation over more than 30,000 hectare in Maharashtra...

Bacterial blight has damaged pomegranate cultivation over more than 30,000 hectare in Maharashtra, causing a loss of Rs 1,000 crore but the state agriculture ministry is yet to identify the reason for the spread of the disease. Most affected by the crisis are pomegranate cultivators who have taken huge loans from banks and private moneylenders.

According to All India Pomegranate Federation president Prabhakar Chandane, at least 20,000 farmers have been affected in the blight that has struck across Solapur, Sangli, Nasik and Baramati, the hometown of Union Agriculture Minister Sharad Pawar. .

The multi-crore National Research Centre, founded by Pawar at Solapur two years ago, to guide pomegranate growers in production, had failed to save the crop. “I had nurtured my pomegranate orchard like my own kids for two years. I had borrowed Rs 5 lakh from the district central cooperative bank. Now suddenly telya (blight) has gripped the orchard. I have become a pauper,” said Sangram Chavan of Takli Sikandar in Mohol taluka in Solapur district.

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The big cultivators, who grow fruit worth more than Rs1 crore every season are also facing huge losses. Tanaji Gund (42), a resident of Kej Babulgao, said: “Two years ago, I earned Rs1 crore in profit from my 30 hectares of orchard. This time, I got only Rs 2 lakh. The entire orchard was affected by blight.”

National Research Centre director VT Jadhav says the blight eats into the entire tree in a few months. “Maharashtra produces pomegranates worth Rs 2,000 crore. This time, the production will only be a fraction of it,” says Chandane.

About 75 per cent production is exported to the Gulf countries, Russia and Germany every year, said Chandane. “If our scientists manage to control the blight, we can agree to export the fruit to America which is interested in importing the fruit from us. Representatives of Schramm William and Company had met us in Pune and sought to sign a deal. That was a promise of good days ahead but we are unable to control the disease,” he added.

As most pomegranate growers are Pawar followers, they react cautiously. “The Centre has nothing to do with the blight and other problems. It’s Chief Minister Vilasrao Deshmukh who is hesitating to provide aid to the pomegranate growers. We want a loan waiver, new loans to be given immediately and Rs 25,000 per acre aid,” said Sangram Chavan of Takli Sikandar.