A S THE southwest monsoon retreats, farmers across India are confronting prolonged dry spells and declining soil moisture. More than half the country’s area was under dry or drought conditions as of September 16, 2026, according to IIT Gandhinagar’s India Drought Monitor, Down To Earth reported. The affected area rose from 38.9% a month earlier to 52.5%. Maharashtra remains under considerable drought stress, with Marathwada recording a 36% rainfall deficit between June 1 and September 20. With kharif crops approaching harvest, the water retained in soil and reservoirs will also shape prospects for the next cropping season. In Beed, where water scarcity has long challenged agriculture, farmer Parmeshwar Thorat has developed a system for growing avocados on his 1.75-acre farm. His approach combines targeted irrigation, rainwater storage, soil preparation and careful crop selection. Deliver water to the roots Thorat installed drip irrigation to direct water to plants rather than flooding the entire field. The system helps reduce wastage by delivering water and nutrients to the root zone. “Drip irrigation takes water and other nutrients directly to the roots, minimising wastage,” he says.

 

Harvest rain, store it for later A farm pond captures rainwater runoff during the monsoon, allowing Thorat to store water for drier months and reduce his dependence on groundwater. “We collect as much rainwater as possible during the monsoon and use it during the dry seasons. It helps keep the farm sustainable,” he says. Capturing runoff is particularly valuable where rainfall arrives in short, spells followed by lengthy dry periods. Build from the soil up Before planting avocado saplings across 0.75 acres, Thorat dug pits measuring two feet by two feet and enriched them with cow dung manure. “I knew the soil needed enrichment to supply the nutrients the plants required,” he says. He subsequently shifted towards organic farming, replacing the chemical fertilisers and pesticides he initially used with cow dung manure and natural farming methods.

 

Choose crops for local conditions Thorat began exploring avocado cultivation in 2018 after learning about the Arka Supreme variety in Bengaluru. He researched the crop and visited the ICARIndian Institute of Horticultural Research before ordering 50 saplings from Karnataka. He says the variety could withstand temperatures of 40–45 degrees Celsius, encouraging him to try it in Beed’s hot climate. His experience underlines the importance of researching a crop’s suitability before investing in cultivation, particularly as rainfall patterns become less predictable. A lesson in resilience “Farming is not easy. There will always be challenges, but with determination and a willingness to learn, you can overcome anything,” he says. As drought risks intensify, his experience offers a practical reminder: resilience begins with making every available drop count.