Continuous unseasonal rain, hailstorms, and strong winds for the past nine days have caused serious damage to crops across Nashik district. According to a preliminary report from the Agriculture Department, crops on 4,240 hectares have been damaged between May 5 and 11, affecting 15,244 farmers from 658 villages.
Mango and onion crops have been hit the hardest. Mangoes on 2,035 hectares and onions on 1,271 hectares have been destroyed. In addition, 171 hectares of onion nurseries, 395 hectares of vegetables, 94 hectares of tomatoes, and 69 hectares of pomegranates have also suffered damage.
This natural disaster came at a critical time when farmers were in the middle of harvesting summer onions. The harvested onions, stored in barns and left to dry in the fields, got soaked in the rain. The sudden change in weather in early May—with heavy daily rainfall, hail, and strong winds—has raised questions about whether the monsoon has arrived early this year.
Worst-Affected Areas: Surgana and Peth talukas reported the highest damage.
Surgana: 195 villages, 4,511 farmers affected
Peth: 145 villages, 4,819 farmers affectedOther affected talukas include:
Trimbakeshwar: 56 villages (589 farmers)
Baglan: 24 villages (1,116 farmers)
Chandwad: 12 villages (1,584 farmers)
Niphad: 31 villages (392 farmers)
Kalwan, Sinnar, Malegaon, Yeola, Nandgaon, Igatpuri, and Dindori also reported damage.
Officials say the crop damage survey is still underway and the total affected area is expected to increase. Farmers are now waiting for government assistance as they suffer heavy financial losses due to this unseasonal weather.