Marathwada floods disrupt pedha supply for Maharashtra temples
Heavy floods since late September have hit dairy farming hard in Marathwada, especially Bhum taluka—known for its khoya.
Daily milk collection has dropped by 60,000-liter and khoya production is down five tons from the usual 40.
This is causing a real crunch for the sweets made as prasad at temples across Maharashtra.
Farmers, traders face tough blow
The floods killed at least 64 cows and calves, with over 160 animals missing, and wiped out fodder stocks.
For many of the region's 25,000 farmers and 5,000 pedha traders, this means lost income and mounting debt.
One farmer shared that losing his home and livestock wiped out his monthly earnings entirely—a tough blow after years of hard work.
Recovery remains uncertain
While the government is providing some aid and disease control help, recovery remains uncertain.
The shortage of Bhum's GI-tagged khoya threatens not just local livelihoods but also the supply of traditional temple sweets like pedha at pilgrimage sites such as Shirdi and Tulajapur.