KSNUAHS to hold Krishi-Thotagarike Mela in Shivamogga from October 30

Maharashtra’s Beed district faces its worst drought in a decade as winter approaches, with officials reporting an eighteen percent deficit in monsoon rains across the state. Of the three hundred fifty-eight tehsils in Maharashtra, three hundred forty have been declared drought-hit. In Beed specifically, the rainfall shortfall reached thirty-seven percent. Local residents describe the current conditions as more severe than previous crises, citing the total drying up of water sources and a collapse in agricultural yields that threatens livelihoods from farming to dairy. Ninety-year-old Awasrao Powal of Chumbali village noted that while farmers skipped sowing during the 1972 drought, this year’s situation is distinct due to the absence of both food and water. He stated that there is currently no money and no work available in his community. The impact on crops is visible in the fields. Mustafa Khan reported that his cotton plants, which typically grow four to six feet high with seventy to eighty pods, have produced fewer than ten pods this season. The immature crop is insufficient to feed his twelve cows, buffaloes, and bulls. Consequently, Khan has increased his purchase of market fodder, the price of which doubled from ten rupees to twenty rupees per bundle over the past two months. Reduced feeding has lowered his milk production, striking both his cotton and dairy incomes. Similar stunted growth affected Ismail Sheikh’s soybean crop in Ambajogai taluka. With eight point seven lakh hectares of land under kharif cultivation in Beed, the yield decline impacts hundreds of thousands of farmers. The economic shock extends beyond the fields, affecting cattle breeders, sugar factories, and migrant laborers. Many farming households remain financially vulnerable following losses from unseasonal rains last year, and this second consecutive year of devastation is pushing many families toward financial ruin. Market dynamics reflect the scarcity. At the weekly cattle market in Neknoor village during the first week of October, trader Uzaif Qureshi found little demand despite falling animal prices. He described the market as overcrowded with livestock but devoid of buyers. In response, the Maharashtra government announced in September that it would establish free cattle sheds equipped with fodder and water. Khan expressed concern that without immediate implementation, he would be forced to sell his herd. Grain markets show a different imbalance. At Beed’s largest weekly grain market, traders reported a sharp drop in supply. Prashant Deshmukh, who usually purchases twenty quintals of soybean, managed to buy only two quintals recently. Another trader, Prashant Landke, planned to reduce his annual purchase of soybean, rajma, jowar, and wheat from four hundred tonnes to one hundred fifty tonnes, noting that the remaining grain was smaller in size. Soybean prices rose from five thousand two hundred rupees to six thousand one hundred rupees per quintal. Deshmukh predicted that this price increase would ripple through local markets by December. The sugarcane sector faces similar challenges. Samadhan Narote pointed to his twelve-acre plot in Morphali village, where cane plants stood only six feet tall instead of the expected twenty-two feet. Short showers in August and September failed to provide the heavy rains needed for this water-intensive crop. Due to poor quality, sugar factory owners rejected Narote’s produce. He stated he would cut the cane to use as cattle feed since it had no other commercial value. While Maharashtra grapples with immediate agricultural failure, neighboring Karnataka is preparing for a focused response. The Keladi Shivappa Nayaka University of Agricultural and Horticultural Sciences in Shivamogga scheduled the four-day Krishi-Thotagarike Mela for October 30, 2026. Themed around innovative agriculture for drought management, the event aims to assist farmers in six districts under the university’s jurisdiction. Vice-Chancellor M.V. Dhananjaya announced that the university has cultivated fodder on approximately two hundred acres across fourteen research centers, with harvest expected within a month to aid cattle feeding. The fair will feature over six hundred stalls, including veterinary exhibits and displays from government departments and the Indian Council of Agricultural Research. Progressive farmer Sathyanarayana Beleri is set to inaugurate the event, with participation expected from Karnataka’s Chief Minister D.K. Shivakumar and several cabinet ministers.