India, Sept. 22 -- Latur, Beed, Dharashiv and Parbhani have emerged as the worst-hit districts in Marathwada, with a prolonged dry spell severely affecting the Kharif crops and threatening the survival of the standing crops ahead of the harvest; agriculture department officials said.

Officials are worried that over 80% of the standing crops in these four districts may have been damaged, with soybean and cotton among the worst affected. Sowing has been carried out on more than 23.17 lakh hectares in these four districts, with around three lakh farmers depending on the Kharif crops.

Agriculture minister Dattatray Barne, who recently reviewed the Kharif crops' situation in the Marathwada and Amravati revenue divisions of the state told Hin...