Areca nut plantations in Sattari have been badly affected due to heavy rainfall in the last fifteen days. Sattari is known as an agricultural base, where many farmers cultivate various crops with the help of the agriculture department. Earlier, farmers used to concentrate only on paddy cultivation, but nowadays, the agricultural department is boosting their activities by providing the farmers with schemes for different crops. Agriculture has been moving in a positive direction lately; the production of coconut, mangos and cashews has increased. The areca nut is also an important crop due to its demand in the local and national market.
Due to the heavy rainfall, one can now see large amounts of areca nut scattered on the ground at the plantations. Many farmers are worried as the areca plantations are their only source of income.
Areca nut producer Yeshwant Gadgil said, “I used to get more than two tons of areca nut per year, but it is pointless to hope for even one ton this year. Most farmers are badly affected due to the rains.”
Besides heavy rains, areca nut farmers also have to deal with wild animals, which have been troubling them for the last ten years. These animals destroy crops, causing heavy losses for the farmers.
Farmer Dada Sawaikar from Khotode stated, “The government should seriously work on this issue to create confidence among the farmers. The farmers are facing many problems due to wild animals and the continuous rainfall. The agriculture department should compensate farmers in this regard.”
When asked about the situation, Sattari agriculture officer Kishor Bhave admitted that there was a problem. He also urged the producers to take more precautions while planting areca nuts. He said, “Rainwater has accumulated near the roots of the plants for the last fifteen days, thus damaging the plants. It’s not possible for plants to store so much water. Farmers should be aware of such types of situations and not allow water to accumulate near the roots. Also, proper space should be maintained between the saplings so that they get sufficient sunlight.”
