Pune: Heavy rainfall has dealt a severe blow to tomato growers in Junnar and Ambegaon tehsils, ravaging crops ready for harvest and pushing farmers into financial uncertainty during the ongoing kharif season.The relentless downpour over the past few days has caused widespread waterlogging, triggering outbreaks of fungal and bacterial diseases. Farmers said the damage has compromised both the quality and quantity of their produce. With cultivation costs soaring, many now fear they will be unable to recover their initial investments.According to India Meteorological Department (IMD) records, several locations in these tehsils—situated at the foothills of the Sahyadri ranges—recorded over 200 mm of rainfall within a 24-hour period for four consecutive days.The impact is visible at the Narayangaon Agricultural Produce Market Committee (APMC), one of Maharashtra’s largest tomato hubs. Officials and traders said the arrivals have plummeted by 50% to 60%. However, despite the scarcity, prices have not seen a corresponding surge due to a steady supply of tomatoes from other states.“Water remained stagnant in the fields, causing plants to wilt and fruits to rot. Many tomatoes developed fungal infections before they could even be harvested,” said Ishwar Gaykar, a prominent grower from Junnar, who estimated that nearly half of his crop is lost.Tomato cultivation in western Maharashtra is highly susceptible to excessive moisture. Experts said prolonged rainfall during the fruiting stage encourages blight and fruit rot, rendering the produce unfit for wholesale markets.Narayangaon APMC, which typically receives 50,000 to 55,000 crates (20 kg each) daily during peak season, saw arrivals drop to approximately 25,000 crates this week. Wholesale prices have remained stagnant between Rs200 and Rs400 per crate, reflecting subdued demand and competition from outside produce.Traders added that the rains have also drastically reduced the shelf life of the fruit. “Tomatoes harvested from waterlogged fields begin deteriorating within hours. Roughly 10% to 20% of every consignment is getting spoiled before even reaching the retail markets,” a local trader remarked.For farmers, the financial stakes are high. Cultivating a single acre of tomatoes requires an investment of several lakh rupees, covering seedlings, fertilizers, pesticides, labour, and staking. With yields falling and the cost of disease management rising, many growers fear they will not be able to recover even their production cost.“The crop was nearly ready when the rains arrived. Even with drainage systems in place, the sheer volume of water caused the plants to collapse,” said Sagar Ghule, a grower from Ambegaon.While agriculture experts have advised farmers to improve drainage and use preventive fungicide sprays, growers said continuous rain makes it impossible to implement these measures.The crisis has led to urgent demands for a govt assessment of the damage. Farmer groups are calling for immediate compensation and more robust crop insurance support. They said increasingly frequent extreme weather events are making vegetable cultivation economically unsustainable.“We have faced losses for two consecutive years due to extreme rainfall in short bursts. The weather has prevented us from doing even basic farm work to save our plantations,” Gaykar added. “Because other states had normal rainfall and are supplying the market, there is little hope of recovering our losses through higher prices. We are in a very delicate situation.”
