From the renowned vineyards of Nashik to the watermelon farms of Solapur, unseasonal showers and hailstorms accompanied by high-speed winds have disrupted agricultural activities, damaging ready-to-harvest crops and pushing farmers into distress over the past few days. A few villages in the Nashik district, considered the grape bowl of India, were hit hard. The hailstorms and persistent rain on April 2 and April 3 damaged vineyards around the villages of Salse Pada and Madsangvi, just 39 km from Nashik city.

Farmers report that nearly 20-25 per cent of their grape crop has been lost, with many estimating financial damages ranging from R2 lakh to R2.5 lakh per farm. “Grape clusters have cracked due to hail impact, and continuous moisture has led to premature fruit drop too. Compounding the issue is the fear of fungal infections threatening the roots of grapevines, which could further jeopardise the next crop cycle. We are still trying to figure out how much total loss farmers have incurred and will reach out to the government,” said Ravindra Nimse, grape grower and former head of Maharashtra Grape Growers Association.