Alwar Farmers Face Growing Crisis as Rain Floods Fields, Threatens Onion and Bajra Crops

Continuous rain in Alwar district has flooded fields, putting both newly sown and standing onion crops as well as harvested bajra at risk of damage.

Days of continuous rainfall in Alwar district have turned farmland into shallow pools, leaving onion and bajra (pearl millet) growers deeply worried about their standing and freshly sown crops. Waterlogged fields have been reported both in the city area and in the district's rural pockets, and farmers fear their months of hard work could literally wash away.

Onion sowing has already been completed in several parts of the district, while farmers in some areas are still preparing their fields for sowing. In plots where onion saplings have already taken root, farmers fear that standing water for days on end could damage the young plants.

Rot risk grows for onion crop as water lingers
Agriculture experts say that when water stays stagnant in fields for a long stretch, the risk of rot disease in onion crops rises sharply. Excess moisture starves plant roots of the air they need, stunting growth and gradually weakening the crop. Farmers worry that if this spell of rain continues in the coming days, it could not only damage the onion crop but also bring down overall yield significantly.

Seed germination under threat in freshly sown fields
Farmers currently sowing onion seeds face an entirely different kind of trouble. Heavy rain either washes away the top layer of soil covering the seeds or compacts it too hard, and either outcome can stop seeds from germinating properly. If germination is affected, farmers may be forced to re-sow the same field altogether, an outcome that would raise their costs while also weakening the chances of getting their harvest on time. Farmers point out that rain only helps a crop when it doesn't pool up in the field but drains away easily. Once water starts collecting and staying put during continuous heavy rain, that is when the real threat to the onion crop begins.

Harvested bajra crop also caught in the rain's path
Alwar district is also in the middle of its bajra harvesting season right now, and it is in full swing. Many farmers have already cut their crop and left it lying in the fields to dry, while in some areas the crop is still standing uncut. The rain has piled worry onto both groups of farmers at once. Rainwater falling on the harvested bajra lying in the fields is adding moisture to the grain, raising the risk that it will spoil. If that moisture persists for long, the overall quality of the harvest could suffer directly. Meanwhile, if the rain keeps up for another day or two, even the bajra crop that is still standing in the fields could be ruined.

With both onion and bajra crops facing risk from the same spell of rain, farmers across the district have lost sleep over it. All eyes are now on the sky, as farmers wait for the rain to stop and for the water sitting in their fields to finally drain away.

What this means for you
The heaviest near-term effect of this rain could land on onion and bajra supply and prices in the coming weeks.

• Across India: If crop damage in producing belts like Alwar is significant, onion arrivals in markets further down the line could shrink, and that usually shows up as higher onion prices for ordinary consumers.
• In Alwar: Farmers here are facing a double hit right now, from possibly having to re-sow onion fields to watching harvested bajra risk spoiling in the open, so draining standing water off the fields quickly and assessing damage as soon as the weather clears is the immediate priority.
• Sowing costs: If seed germination fails, farmers will have to spend extra money sowing a second time, pushing up their overall input costs.
• Crop quality: Moisture soaking into harvested bajra can degrade grain quality, which could make it harder for farmers to get a fair price in the market.

Questions & Answers

1. Which crops in Alwar district are most at risk from the rain?
The biggest risk is to sown and standing onion crops as well as the already harvested bajra crop.

2. Why does rot disease spread in the onion crop?
When water stays in fields for a long time, plant roots don't get enough air, which raises the risk of rot disease.

3. What damage can the rain cause to newly sown seeds?
Heavy rain can wash away or compact the soil covering the seeds, affecting germination and potentially forcing farmers to re-sow.

4. What is the threat to the harvested bajra crop?
Rainwater falling on the harvested bajra lying in the fields is adding moisture to it, raising the risk that the grain will spoil.

5. Is bajra crop still standing in the fields?
Yes, in some parts of the district the bajra crop is still standing in the fields and could be damaged if the rain continues.

6. What are farmers waiting for now?
Farmers are waiting for the weather to clear and for water to drain out of their fields.

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