Poor Monsoon Sours Hope for Orange Farmers in Madhya Pradesh

It is not exactly a fruitful year for orange farmers in Madhya Pradesh's Malwa region. The rainfall deficit has badly hit orange production in the region, dashing hopes of thousands of them. "A farmer cares for the orange plant for 5 years and when due to unfavourable weather conditions, like this year, the plants wilt. There is no provision of compensation for oranges like paddy and soya bean crop, whereas orange cultivation is far more expensive," said Durga Prasad Paliwal, a farmer. (Read more)