Amid Drought, Maharashtra Approves ₹4 Crore To Send 180 Farmers, Officials On Study Tours Aboard

Amid drought conditions in large parts of Maharashtra, the state government has reportedly approved an amount of Rs 4 crore to send farmers on study tours in foreign countries in 2026-’27.

The study tours will be aimed at exposing them “to advanced and modern tech used in other countries”, The Times of India reported.

Selection of farmers

In all, 180 farmers will be selected for the tours – five each from 34 districts and ten selected by a state-level panel. Nine officers – one for every 20 farmers – will also accompany them.

The Maharashtra government had cleared Rs 2 crore for similar study tours last year as well.

The scheme

The scheme has been in existence since 2004-’05, The Times of India quoted an official as saying.

“The scheme was started to help farmers understand developed and modern technologies in advanced countries, along with export and marketing of agricultural products, market demand, and agricultural processing,” the official said. “It is intended to help farmers apply these practices on their own farms.”

The Maharashtra government last year doubled the spending limit per farmer under the scheme from Rs 1 lakh to Rs 2 lakh, The Times of India reported. A government resolution at the time said that the decision was taken as the cost of airline tickets, accommodation in foreign countries and other expenses had increased significantly.

Drought conditions

Earlier this month, the Maharashtra government declared a drought in 305 out of the state’s 358 talukas, in the backdrop of a 19 per cent monsoon deficit and the prospect of El Niño conditions intensifying. 

The state government has stated that it will implement 12 relief measures in these talukas with the aim of providing assistance to farmers facing the impact of deficient rainfall. 

These include land revenue exemptions, crop loan restructuring and suspension of agricultural loan recovery, among other measures.