Pomegranate output in Maharashtra is set to take a hit this year.
The lower yield is attributed to reduction of the area under its cultivation because of drought in parts of the State where the fruit is grown.
Also, the crop has been affected by the oily spot disease.
It is estimated that the yield this year will be around 6 lakh tonnes against 8 lakh tonnes last year. Exports will also be affected, a farmer said.
Though pomegranate cultivation in Maharashtra began in mid-eighties, it gained momentum only by the turn of the century. The State accounts for around 85-90 per cent of total production of the fruit in the country.