Pune: Agriculture minister Dattatray Bharne on Wednesday cautioned farmers against investing heavily in the upcoming rabi sowing, urging them to shift to crops that require less water, with drought conditions already devastating the kharif season.“The kharif crops have withered in most parts of the state and the drought threat is now extending to the rabi season. Farmers are hoping for rainfall during the monsoon withdrawal in Oct, but we must prepare for a challenging season ahead and possible impact on the rabi season,” Bharne, who attended the national conference on the rabi season in Delhi, said.Maharashtra and Karnataka have already declared drought in several regions after poor rainfall severely affected kharif cultivation. In a bid to support farmers, Centre on Wednesday raised the minimum support price (MSP) for six major rabi crops, including wheat, barley, gram, masoor, mustard and safflower.The state agriculture department is also preparing crop-specific advisories based on evolving weather conditions. Bharne said farmers should prefer crop varieties that require less water and lower investment in inputs like seeds and fertilisers. “Farmers should avoid high-risk investments and opt for crops that can be cultivated with limited water. Our department is coordinating with other agencies to provide timely advisories throughout the rabi season,” he said.Farmer groups, however, have demanded that state govt go beyond advisories and prepare a dedicated relief package for the rabi season. “We are already advising farmers not to spend excessively on seeds and fertilisers as the water crisis is likely to worsen,” Jayaji Suryavanshi, a farmer activist from Marathwada, said. “Govt must proactively support farmers who depend on rabi crops for their livelihood,” the activist added.
