Cyclone Arnab flattens mature paddy across Uttar Pradesh and Bihar
India
Cyclone Arnab swept through Uttar Pradesh and Bihar from September 25 to 28, flattening mature paddy crops with heavy rain and strong winds.
This blow comes right after earlier rainfall issues had already made things tough for farmers, affecting the paddy transplantation period.
Weather extremes strain India's food production
Uttar Pradesh and Bihar are major rice-growing states: Uttar Pradesh grows India's paddy. The cyclone caused losses to paddy crops in Uttar Pradesh and Bihar.
Add in ongoing rainfall shortages across other states like Telangana and Andhra Pradesh (with nearly half their districts rain deficient), and it's clear: unpredictable weather is putting serious pressure on India's food production this year.