{
  "id": 9590745,
  "title": "Makarand Patil Assures Aid To Buldhana Farmers Amid Drought-Like Conditions, Orders Crop Damage Assessment",
  "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/09/24/makarand-patil-assures-aid-to-buldhana-farmers-amid-drought-like",
  "topic": "world",
  "section": "World",
  "published": "2026-09-24T16:16:55.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "Free Press Journal",
    "slug": "free-press-journal",
    "url": "https://www.freepressjournal.in/mumbai/makarand-patil-assures-aid-to-buldhana-farmers-amid-drought-like-conditions-orders-crop-damage-assessment"
  },
  "original_language": "en",
  "account": "Buldhana district guardian minister Makarand Aba Patil has promised that every eligible farmer affected by the ongoing drought-like conditions will receive government aid. The assurance came after Patil visited fields in Chikhli taluka to survey the impact of severe dry spells and irregular rainfall on Kharif crops. \"We have assessed the actual condition of the crops by visiting the fields. Every effort will be made to ensure that accurate crop damage assessments are carried out and that necessary assistance is provided at the government level. No eligible affected farmer should be deprived of assistance,\" Patil declared.\n\nBuldhana district received only 77.9 percent of its average rainfall between June and September. All 13 talukas in the district faced dry spells exceeding 20 days, with August receiving just 53.7 percent of normal rainfall and September receiving only 30.7 percent. The prolonged drought has put soybean, maize, cotton, sorghum and moong crops at risk, with the district estimating potential yield losses of 50 to 60 percent this year.\n\nOf the district's 6.73 lakh hectares under Kharif cultivation, 2,33,431 hectares are covered by crop insurance, while 4,39,634 hectares are not. Patil instructed officials to carry out crop damage assessments, or panchnamas, for every eligible affected farmer accurately. He also directed crop insurance companies to process farmers' claims swiftly and ensure eligible farmers receive compensation in line with the applicable rules. During the inspection, Patil was joined by MLAs Manoj Kayande and Shweta Mahale, the district collector, senior officials, party functionaries, and farmers.",
  "summary": "Mumbai: Maharashtra Relief and Rehabilitation Minister and Buldhana district guardian minister Makarand Aba Patil on Thursday assured farmers that no eligible farmer affected by the prevailing drought-like conditions would be denied government assistance. Patil made the assurance after conducting an on-ground assessment of crop damage in Chikhli taluka. He visited the fields of farmers in Hatni,…",
  "key_points": [],
  "editors_take": null,
  "illustration": null,
  "coverage": {
    "outlets": 2,
    "also_reported_by": [
      {
        "outlet": "Free Press Journal",
        "title": "Jalgaon: Collector Visits Farmers’ Fields To Assess Crop Damage Amid Drought-Like Conditions",
        "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/09/24/jalgaon-collector-visits-farmers-fields-to-assess-crop-damage-amid",
        "published": "2026-09-24T13:07:40.000Z"
      }
    ]
  },
  "ai_generated": true,
  "disclaimer": "Summaries, key points and the editor’s take are written by software from other outlets’ reporting and may contain errors — always check the linked original."
}