On Friday, the weather in the Malwa region of Madhya Pradesh suddenly changed, leading to heavy rain and hailstorms in Mandsaur. This unexpected weather change caused significant losses to farmers, particularly those who had brought their garlic crops to the Mandsaur Agricultural Produce Market for sale. The garlic, worth crores, which is considered the largest garlic market in the country, was ruined after getting soaked in the rain.
The absence of adequate storage facilities in the market has become a significant issue for farmers. They were forced to keep their produce in the open fields. Due to the heavy rain in the afternoon, the garlic bags became soaked, causing considerable damage. The bags of garlic floated in water, and the quality of the crop deteriorated significantly.
On Friday, the prices of garlic in the market ranged from ₹4200 per quintal to ₹31,500 per quintal. In the morning, many farmers managed to sell their crops, but after the rain, traders refused to buy the wet garlic. Tejpal Patidar, a farmer from Ratlam district, shared that his garlic, which was expected to sell at ₹25,000 per quintal, was completely ruined due to the rain.
Impact of the Bad Weather in Madhya Pradesh:
Meteorologists have predicted that the rain and hailstorm will continue in the state for the next 3-4 days. The ongoing rainfall has not only damaged the crops but also affected the daily lives of people.
Deep Impact on Agriculture: The changing weather and hailstorms have affected not just garlic, but also wheat, gram, and other crops. This weather has become a major concern for farmers as their hard work is being destroyed, and the risk of economic loss is increasing.
Conclusion: This incident in Mandsaur highlights how bad weather and lack of proper storage facilities can cause heavy losses to farmers. While high garlic prices had given farmers hope, the sudden change in weather dashed their expectations. In such cases, market management and the government must provide better storage facilities and relief measures to protect farmers' crops.
