Maharashtra’s fruit growers are fighting to keep their plantations alive as the state faces what many are calling its worst drought in decades. The state has declared 265 of its 358 talukas drought-affected, covering nearly three-quarters of Maharashtra, following an 18.8% rainfall deficit and prolonged dry spells. By mid-September, nearly 84% of the state was abnormally dry or in drought, up from around 14% just a month earlier.
The damage goes beyond one lost harvest. Maharashtra produces over 69% of India’s grapes, and October is when vineyards undergo the fruit pruning that sets up the next season’s crop. Grape growers in the Nashik belt report that vines have started drying. If the vines die, it would take at least four years before new plantations begin yielding commercially. Growers spend an estimated Rs 50,000 to Rs 60,000 per acre per season on inputs alone.
The crisis extends to oranges, pomegranates, bananas and mangoes. Orange orchards in Amravati have seen trees cut down across an estimated 5,000 hectares. In Jalgaon, banana prices have crashed so low that one farmer destroyed his four-acre plantation after being offered just Rs 3 per kilogram. In Marathwada, 74 of 76 talukas are drought-affected and 277 tankers were supplying 160 villages by end of September.
The Chief Minister has warned this drought could be worse than 1972. The state government has announced loan restructuring and revenue concessions, but farmers say what they need most urgently is water. An inter-ministerial central team assessed crop losses between October 8 and 11. India exported 2.24 lakh tonnes of grapes worth nearly $368 million in 2025-26, so the damage carries consequences well beyond the farm.
Sources: India Today, The Times of India, The Indian Express, The New Indian Express
