Although Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis assured that there will be adequate supply of fuel and fertilisers during the kharif season beginning next month, rural Maharashtra is already reporting disruptions in farm activities. (File Photo)As Maharashtra stares at a fuel and fertiliser supply crunch amid the escalating West Asia conflict, farmers across the state are heading into the kharif season with mounting anxiety over rising diesel costs, rationed fertiliser stocks and the absence of viable alternatives to mechanised farming. Agriculture activists warn that pushing farmers towards manual farming, crop diversification and organic cultivation at a time of crisis will be a daunting challenge.Although Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis assured that there will be adequate supply of fuel and fertilisers during the kharif season beginning next month, rural Maharashtra is already reporting disruptions in farm activities. With monsoon expected to arrive early, farmers are under pressure to complete field preparation, or ‘mashagat’, by the first week of June even as diesel prices have sharply increased tractor operation costs.Officially, Fadnavis said, “There will be no shortage of fuel for agriculture activities as allocation district wise is being closely monitored.” He added that panic buying was disturbing district fuel quotas.The crisis has exposed Maharashtra’s deep dependence on fuel-driven mechanised farming. With a nine per cent decline in cattle population over the last six decades, small and marginal farmers are left with little fallback if diesel shortages intensify. Statistics from the animal husbandry department show that the state’s cattle population has dropped from 1.53 crore in 1961 to nearly 1.25 crore in 2025-26. Agriculture experts estimate that nearly 80 per cent of traditional cattle-based farming has now shifted to tractors and mechanised cultivation.According to Marathwada-based water and agriculture expert Narhari Shivpure, “Farmers are grappling with multiple challenges this kharif season. The weather bureau has predicted a drought-like situation due to El Nino. The longer gaps between rain spells means farmers may have to resow if saplings shrivel.”“Apart from drought-like situations, increased expenditure due to higher fuel and fertilizer prices are worrying farmers,” he said. “There is no alternative to mechanised farming even if farmers want to, as there is a shortage of cattle for agriculture activities.”Fertiliser availability has emerged as another major concern. Against the required stock of 48 lakh metric tonnes sought from the Centre, Maharashtra currently has only 25 lakh metric tonnes available. Though the government has denied any shortage, agriculture centres in districts and talukas have begun rationing fertiliser sales.Story continues below this ad“At least three Yavatmal-based farmers said, “The krishi kendras are releasing the stock with some restrictions. They don’t want to exhaust the stock entirely.” “So, when you ask for four bags (50 kg each) they give one to two bags only.”Amid fears of prolonged supply disruptions, Union Agriculture Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan has announced a ‘Khet Bachao Abhiyan’ from June 1 to promote scientific fertiliser use, reduce input costs and encourage organic farming and crop diversification.However, farm activists argue that the crisis has also exposed the failure to implement long-pending agricultural reforms. Vidarbha-based agriculture activist Vijay Jawandhia said, “We wake up when there is a crisis, be it man-made or natural calamity. Had we enforced the Swaminathan Commission report in totality, we would have made the farmers financially robust and self reliant.”“Instead, we have left farmers to the mercy of market exploitation domestic or international. When you don’t make MSP mandatory, farmers turn to market driven crops. The crop diversification was a concept mooted by the Swaminathan commission which has been totally ignored,” he said.Story continues below this adJawandhia pointed out that farmers in Vidarbha and Marathwada have increasingly shifted from pulses and coarse grains such as jowar and bajra to soybean and cotton cultivation. State agriculture data reflects this trend, with pulse production dropping 28.2 per cent between 2024-25 and 2025-26, while oilseed production declined by nearly 47 per cent during the same period.Though organic farming has received support from farmer groups, they insist that the government must bring a long-term policy framework to sustain the transition. The state budget for 2026 states that Maharashtra accounts for 30 per cent of the country’s organic farming and aims to expand organic cultivation to five lakh hectares. However, official statistics show the area under organic farming has marginally declined over the last year.Stay updated with the latest - Click here to follow us on Instagram© The Indian Express Pvt Ltd