A stroke of luck in terms of the weather and a conscious decision on part of the farmers to change the cultivation pattern might well lead to a bumper orange crop after five to six years in the region. It could be the proverbial silver lining for the region, that has had its soyabean and paddy crop damaged due to adverse weather, and for the state, what with Marathwada in the grip of severe water scarcity.
Good rains in June, with no hailstorms from February to April, and no fruit drop from June to August, have helped secure a good crop for orange growers. But farmers as well as scientists give more credit for the bumper ambia bahar crop, which brings fruits from October to January, mainly to the gradual and conscious shift of orange growers over last few years from mrig bahar (pomegrantate) crop, which was rain-fed, to the irrigated ambia crop.
It is crop failure due to poor or erratic rains over the last decade or so that has prompted farmers to do so. The farmers have had to invest in irrigation, especially the expensive micro-irrigation techniques like drip and sprinkler. But the investment has paid off and starting giving results in the form of good yields.
Dhiraj Junghare, who owns a 60-acre farm in Hatla, a few kilometres before Katol, agreed. "Technology and irrigation are key to good orange produce. Last year, I got about 700 tons or orange and this year, I am expecting 1,000 tons which may bring about Rs2.5crore to 3 crore," he said. Junghare said he uses costly soluble fertilizers and added that drip irrigation is the 'biggest contributor' for the higher yield.
