Maharashtra's drought deepens as cotton, soybean output plummets

Maharashtra's drought crisis is worsening, with State Agriculture Minister Dattatray Bharane confirming a significant decline in cotton and soybean production. Farmers across the state are removing wilted crops from their fields as water scarcity persists.

The agriculture department has launched an early crop assessment to quantify losses and determine farmer compensation. The contraction in major cash crop yields underscores the severity of the drought's impact on the state's agricultural sector.