Indian grape sector in Nashik hit by rainfall

For the last couple of weeks, the Indian region of Maharashtra has been hit by severe downpours. As the monsoon rain season usually occurs between June and August, the current amount of rain is abnormal and unexpected. The grape cultivation that is centered around the city of Nashik is bearing the brunt of these unusual weather circumstances. Some officials of Maharashtra mention an expected decrease in volume of 50%.

 

However, Ashok Montiani of the company Freshtrop Fruits Limited thinks such an expected decrease in production is overly pessimistic. “There could be some damage to grape farms, but those cases are isolated. The only grape growers that might sustain damage are those that are still in the flowering stage. This means the grape production that would normally be harvested in January.”

 

According to Montiani, the production that hits the market in February shouldn’t have any significant problems. “The last couple of days were quite dry and sunny, so there aren’t any big issues right now. Though you’d be able to see significant damage in the media, on an overall scale, there isn’t much damage to speak of. However, we’d like to wait a couple of weeks before we assess the situation.”

Montiani says that the grape sector of Nashik covers a lot of ground. “Some parts fare better than others. Freshtrop is situated at 100 km from the part that was hit by rainfall the most. But most companies still had some pruning left to do, which means that for these companies the rain won’t be an issue as well.”

 

One increased risk that is associated with extreme downpour is the presence of downy mildew. “Downy mildew is a risk, but this risk can be controlled. We’ve implemented proper protection against downy mildew and everybody knows how to contain this disease. It really only becomes a problem if the rainfall is continuous, but as there have been periods with dry weather, this really isn’t an issue,” explains Montiani. “All in all it’s still to early to draw any conclusions. We’ll have more certainty in November.”

 

However, Pratik Mutha of the company Agrion Overseas Private Limited, Sangli is less optimistic.

 

“The unusual rainfall has affected the vineyards. The effects caused by the rain mostly appear in the form of downy mildew, which can ('may') destroy whole fields. However, any significant prediction can only be made when the rain is finished and followed by clear weather. But I’m sure some growers will be affected, especially with regards to the early season. The rain ruined the production of all growers that were already working on the pruning process, which usually begins around September,” explains Pratik.

The rain has hit the Sangli region where the company's sourcing takes place and the forecast says the possibility of rain is until 20th of October. 

According to Pratik, the rain that has hit the premises of his company will last until the 20th of October. The normal time for monsoon rains is around June, July and August, so this amount of rain is both abnormal and unexpected. It’s visibly humid and hot. The heavy rainfall has lasted for one and a half weeks. The export season occurs in January and February and those export volumes may be affected."

 

However, like Montiani he is skeptical of the estimated decrease in production of 50%. “I don’t think it will be that much, but we really can’t say without proper data. We won’t be able to get that data until the end of October. I know that some growers are affected, but I do not know how much,” says Pratik in conclusion. 

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Ashok Montiani