Maharashtra's tur crop to fall by 40% this year
Floods and heavy rain have caused major trouble for Maharashtra's tur (pigeon pea) farmers, with crop yields expected to fall by 40%.
Key districts like Ahilyanagar, Sangli, and Latur saw damage right when plants needed it least.
On top of that, a soil fungus called Fusarium wilt is making things worse by causing the crops to wilt.
Farmers dealing with pest attacks and stunted growth
Maharashtra usually supplies over a third of India's tur, so this shortfall could impact prices and availability across the country.
To make up for the loss, India might need to import tur from Africa at around $550 per ton.
Farmers are also dealing with stunted plant growth and pest attacks after an unusually long rainy season—many fields are ready to harvest but just didn't get enough pods.
There's still hope that better weather could help save what's left of the crop.