Maharashtra farmers skip dry sowing amid monsoon delay
Nearly half of Vidarbha and Marathwada farmers use 'dhul perni' annually, a pre-monsoon sowing method helps secure early harvests and higher yields if timely rains follow.
Amidst delayed monsoon farmers in Maharashtra have completely skip ' dhul perni' a traditional form of sowing during kharif season. Almost 50 per cent farmers specially in Vidarbha and Marathwada adopt ' dhul perni' ( dry or dust sowing) method every year. (Source: File photo) Maharashtra’s kharif season is off to an uncertain start, with farmers across Vidarbha and Marathwada holding back from ‘dhul perni’ — the dry pre-monsoon sowing that typically gets underway by June 10 — as the southwest monsoon’s arrival remains unclear.
Dhul perni involves sowing seeds in dry soil a week to ten days before the monsoon arrives. It is especially popular among small and marginal farmers, who make up 65-70 per cent of the farming community in Vidarbha and Marathwada, particularly those growing cotton and soybean. Farmers believe the method improves yields by 15-20 per cent and ensures an earlier harvest, helping crops avoid the pest attacks that intensify as winter sets in. The window for dhul perni normally runs from May 25 to June 10. That deadline has now passed.
Yash Ingole, a farmer from Yavatmal, said the method gives cotton crops an early start. “But when there is no clarity on when the monsoon will arrive, how can farmers begin sowing? The wait is becoming longer and more difficult,” he said.
Devanand Pawar, a farmer and agriculture expert from eastern Vidarbha, said monsoon uncertainty had become the season’s defining anxiety. “Most have avoided ‘dhul perni’ this year,” he said.
Forecasts issued in May had indicated an early monsoon arrival in the first week of June. Subsequent updates pushed the expected onset to after June 12. Some parts of the state have received pre-monsoon showers, but officials said conditions remain unsuitable for large-scale sowing.
The agriculture department has repeatedly advised farmers against sowing before the monsoon sets in, and Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis has urged cultivators on several occasions to avoid premature sowing. Agriculture department sources said farmers had widely adopted dhul perni over the past three years because of favourable monsoon conditions, making this year’s restraint more pronounced.
“With unpredictable rainfall and the possibility of weather disruptions, our effort is to protect farmers from unnecessary risk,” an agriculture department official said.
State Agriculture Minister Dattatray Bharne has urged farmers to exercise caution. Officials said the advisories are aimed at preventing additional expenditure if rains fail after sowing.
The state has also moved to ensure seed and fertiliser availability. To prevent hoarding, farmers have been asked to register on the MahaDBT portal and submit land ownership records when purchasing agricultural inputs.
“We have stocked nearly three lakh quintals of seeds, including soybean and groundnut,” Bharne said, adding that district administrations had been directed to crack down on substandard seeds sold by private agents.
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