Climate Change Devastates Junnar’s Vineyards, Halves Grape Production

Junnar, 4th December 2024: Vineyards in Junnar taluka are reeling under the effects of adverse weather conditions, resulting in a sharp decline in grape production. Nearly 20% of the vineyards in the region remain uncultivated, while October rains have destroyed 30% of grape bunches, leaving farmers with significantly reduced yields and smaller fruit sizes.

This year, grape production in Junnar taluka is expected to drop by nearly 50%, impacting approximately 2,500 acres of vineyards, primarily those cultivating the Black Jumbo variety. Farmers have already cleared 150 acres of uncultivated vineyards and are increasingly turning to foreign patented grape varieties that are more resistant to monsoons.

Junnar taluka, known for producing export-quality grapes such as Jumbo, Redglobe, and Kingberry, exports extensively to countries like China, Bangladesh, Dubai, and Sri Lanka. The region’s 4,000-acre vineyard area also grows varieties like Sharad Seedless, Thomson Seedless, Sonaka, Tas A Ganesh, Crimson, and others. However, this year, extreme weather conditions have severely impacted production.

After a scorching summer with temperatures exceeding 40°C during the pruning period in April and May, heavy rains in September and October further damaged grape bunches. The exportable varieties, including Jumbo, Redglobe, and Kingberry, have suffered the most. Farmers have resorted to chemical treatments to boost bunch sizes, but these measures have offered limited relief.

For the past five to six years, unpredictable weather, including hailstorms and stormy rains, has consistently plagued grape cultivation. As a result, some farmers have planted ARRA Red Selection 5/6 patented variety grapes over 200 acres this year, aiming for better resilience against climate change.

The financial burden of maintaining vineyards has added to farmers’ woes. Establishing a new vineyard costs ₹7–₹8 lakh per acre, and farmers who lost their crops this season face crippling losses. Credit institutions and banks that have extended crop loans are also under pressure. The District Bank, through cooperative societies, has provided ₹30 crore in loans to around 1,000 grape growers, with ₹5.80 lakh per acre for new plantations and ₹1.84 lakh per acre for older ones.

A vineyard owner highlighted the severe impact, predicting a 50–60% drop in production this year. Farmers have started cutting down old orchards to make way for foreign grape varieties that can withstand changing weather patterns. However, the shift comes at a steep cost, with farmers losing ₹4–₹5 lakh per acre by uprooting older vineyards.

The region’s grape industry, which contributes ₹60 crore annually through the sale of fertilisers and pesticides and provides employment to around 5,000 people, is now under threat. Labourers, tractor operators, transporters, and others who depend on the sector for their livelihood face uncertainty as the crisis deepens.

Farmers are now urging both the Central and State governments to step in, demanding subsidies for grape cultivation and reductions in export duties to safeguard the industry from the adverse effects of climate change.