21 September,2026 05:14 PM IST | Beed (Maharashtra) | mid-day online correspondent
The poor monsoon has also affected water availability across the district. Representational Pic/File
Maharashtra's Beed district is facing growing concerns over fodder, water availability and crop survival after below-average rainfall during the monsoon, according to a report from the Beed Collector's Office on Monday, reported the PTI.
The district currently has fodder stocks sufficient for only around 100 days for more than 8.55 lakh cattle, while several talukas have supplies that could run out much sooner, the report said.
Several parts of Beed have experienced dry spells lasting between 25 and 49 days, affecting both livestock and crops.
While Ambajogai has adequate fodder stocks, supplies in Ashti, Dharur, Gevrai, Kaij, Majalgaon, Shirur and Wadwani are expected to last between 21 and 76 days, according to the report, as per the PTI.
The administration has warned that crop yields could fall below 50 per cent in several talukas if the dry conditions continue.
The poor monsoon has also affected water availability across the district.
Beed has 164 irrigation projects, which had a combined live storage of 128.08 million cubic metres as of September 12. This represents only 16.69 per cent of their total storage capacity, the report said, according to the PTI.
The district normally receives an average of 566.1 mm of rainfall between June and September. However, it had received only 325.2 mm by September 20, officials said.
The prolonged dry spell has started affecting major crops across the district.
According to the report, soybean cultivated over 4.01 lakh hectares, cotton over 2.50 lakh hectares and tur over 48,630 hectares are drying up due to the lack of rain, the news agency reported.
The administration has warned that the situation could further affect agricultural production if there is no significant improvement in rainfall.
Meanwhile, Maharashtra Congress president Harshwardhan Sapkal has demanded Rs 1 lakh per hectare assistance and a complete loan waiver for farmers affected by a severe dry spell across several parts of the state.
Maharashtra Congress chief Sapkal, who visited farms in Buldhana district on Sunday, accused the state government of delaying financial assistance to farmers through endless meetings while standing crops got destroyed, as per PTI.
Earlier last week Chief Minister (CM) Devendra Fadnavis said that the government will conduct crop loss surveys after October 5 and assured that the state would provide financial assistance from its own sources while awaiting aid from the National Disaster Response Fund (NDRF).
(with PTI inputs)
