In Maharashtra’s onion-growing regions, farmers are struggling with unexpected weather changes. Heavy rains, long dry spells, and pest attacks have made onion farming more risky than ever before. Many farmers say that climate change is making it harder to predict the seasons, and they are looking for ways to protect their crops and income.
For Ramesh Jadhav, a farmer from Lasalgaon in Nashik, last year was a tough one. His onions were ready for harvest in April, but unseasonal rains destroyed the entire crop. His months of hard work were washed away in just a few hours.
Luckily, he had insured his five-acre onion farm under the Pradhan Mantri Fasal Bima Yojana (PMFBY). By November, he received ₹60,000 in compensation.
“This was not enough to cover all my losses,” he says, “but at least I could afford to plant again.”
More Farmers Choosing Insurance
Maharashtra produces 34% of India’s onions, but farmers are facing bigger risks every year.
- Heavy rains cause fungal infections, damaging onions and reducing prices.
- Sudden dry spells weaken crops, making them more vulnerable to pests.
- Changing weather patterns mean farmers can no longer rely on traditional farming schedules.
To protect themselves from these losses, more farmers are signing up for crop insurance.
“In our village, many farmers are now using insurance,” says Dilip Patil, another onion farmer from Lasalgaon. “The premium is just ₹1 per acre, and at least we get some money when things go wrong.”
Crop Insurance is Growing Fast
The number of insured onion farms in Maharashtra has increased dramatically:
- In 2019-20, only 45,000 hectares of onion farms were insured.
- In 2024-25, this has increased to 7.43 lakh hectares.
This shows that farmers are realizing the importance of insurance in protecting their livelihoods.
Is Insurance Enough?
While insurance helps, it does not fully solve farmers’ problems. Many farmers still face:
- Delays in getting compensation, making it hard to recover quickly.
- Low payouts that don’t always match the real losses.
- Lack of awareness, meaning some farmers still don’t sign up for insurance.
Experts say that the government should also invest in better irrigation, weather forecasting, and support for climate-friendly farming.
A New Way to Farm
For farmers like Jadhav and Patil, adjusting to climate change is now a must.
“The weather is changing, and we have to change with it,” says Jadhav. “I cannot control the rain, but at least I can protect my farm with insurance.”
Crop insurance may not be a perfect solution, but for Maharashtra’s onion farmers, it is the only backup they have right now.
