Union Agriculture Minister Shivraj Chouhan reached out to a distressed farmer in Maharashtra, Gaurav Panwar, after a viral video showed him struggling to save his peanut crop from unseasonal rain. Chouhan assured the farmer of compensation, stating that he had spoken to Maharashtra CM Fadnavis too.
Union Agriculture Minister Shivraj Chouhan reached out to a distressed farmer in Maharashtra after a video showing him frantically trying to save his peanut crop from unseasonal rain went viral. Gaurav Panwar, the farmer seen in the video, had brought his produce to a market in Washim when sudden downpours began lashing the area, threatening to wash away his hard-earned crop. The video, widely shared on social media, captures Panwar struggling to shield his produce with his bare hands as the rain poured down, reflecting the harsh reality many farmers are facing due to erratic weather in the state.
Chouhan, moved by the farmer’s plight, shared a clip of his phone conversation with Panwar on X (formerly Twitter), assuring him of compensation. “It pained me to see the video, but don’t worry,” Chouhan told Panwar, adding that he had already spoken to Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis, the state’s agriculture minister, and the local collector to expedite relief.
In a post on X (formerly Twitter), Chouhan wrote, “Seeing the heart-wrenching video of Maharashtra’s farmer brother Gaurav Panwar on social media deeply disturbed me. The untimely rain ruined his peanut crop stored in the market. As a farmer myself, I can fully understand his pain. I spoke to Gaurav over the phone and tried to console him. Farmers should not worry. The loss will be compensated for soon. The Maharashtra government and Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis are highly sensitive to farmers’ issues. The central and state governments stand firmly with farmers in all circumstances. Farmer welfare is our top priority.”
Panwar, who mentioned that he felt unwell after being drenched in the rain, received further assurances that his losses would be addressed by Monday.
Earlier, Maharashtra NCP (Sharad Pawar) president Jayant Patil also highlighted the issue, urging the state government to provide immediate relief to farmers impacted by the unseasonal rains and hailstorms that have damaged crops across several regions.
