Cyclone Murasu | Paddy farmers in Telangana fear crop damage amid high market prices

Cyclone Murasu, meaning “war drum,” is the cyclonic storm behind the rain forecast for parts of Telangana from Monday to Wednesday, November 2 to 4. Its strong winds and rain matter because farmers have paddy and cotton crops at different stages, from harvest to pre-flowering.

Rain can soak rice panicles and make them droop into standing water. Harvesting machines then move more slowly through wet fields. Farmers may also need labour to drain water from damaged crops. Cotton nearing harvest faces a similar threat.

The immediate concern is financial loss. Farmers may pay more for harvesting, lose weight while drying wet grain, or receive lower prices if grain changes colour. Officials have alerted farmers and directed staff to provide tarpaulin sheets for harvested grain. The storm’s impact will depend on rainfall and wind across exposed districts.

Paddy farmers face exposure because fields contain crops at several stages. Some paddy is ready for harvest, some is nearing harvest, and some is still before flowering. The article also identifies cotton nearing harvest as vulnerable. Rain and wind can damage standing crops, while wet harvested grain can lose quality.

The six districts forecast to receive heavy to very heavy rainfall on November 2 are Khammam, Mahabubnagar, Nalgonda, Suryapet, Nagarkurnool and Wanaparthy. In Lalapuram village, Khammam, farmer Sankranthi Narasiah said nearby paddy ranged from pre-flowering to panicle formation.

These stages matter for different reasons. Near-harvest crops may become wet and harder to harvest. Pre-flowering and panicle-formation crops may suffer damage before grain development is complete. Farmers in Mahabubnagar also described rain on standing crops as bad news.

The article reports that paddy harvesting machines cost ₹2,500 to ₹3,000 for one hour. Under normal conditions, a machine can harvest an acre in about one hour. Rain-soaked fields can therefore make harvesting substantially more expensive for farmers.

Donthu Rambabu explained the mechanism. When rain soaks the crop, panicles may fall into water standing in the field. A machine that normally takes one hour to harvest an acre may then need two hours. At the same hourly rate, the total charge doubles from ₹2,500–₹3,000 to about ₹5,000–₹6,000 per acre.

The higher bill is not the only cost. Farmers may hire labour to channel water away from damaged crops. Wet grain must also be dried, and drying can reduce its weight. If grain changes colour, M Sudhakar Reddy said it may receive a lower price.

A paddy panicle is the grain-bearing head of the rice plant. When rain soaks it, the panicle may droop and fall into water that has collected in the field. This makes harvesting harder and can expose the grain to further quality problems.

Donthu Rambabu said machines may take twice as long because panicles drop into stagnant rainwater. Farmers must then dry the soaked produce. The article notes that drying may reduce some of the grain’s weight. M Sudhakar Reddy added that grains which change colour receive a lower price.

The result is a chain of losses. Farmers pay more for machine time, may need labour to drain fields, and can sell a lighter or lower-priced product. The risk is especially serious when paddy is close to harvest, while crops before flowering may suffer broader damage from wind and rain.

Farmers are currently receiving ₹3,500 to ₹4,500 per quintal for fresh paddy, according to the article. Earlier, dried crop brought around ₹2,900, described as the Minimum Support Price plus a ₹500 bonus for fine rice. This creates a major price difference at harvest time.

The article also says demand for paddy has risen. Because of that demand, relatively less produce is reaching official paddy procurement centres. Private persons are collecting grain directly from farms instead. Farmers therefore have a strong reason to protect fresh harvest and sell it while prices are comparatively high.

Rain threatens this advantage. Wet grain must be dried, which may reduce its weight. Grain that changes colour may receive a lower price. Farmers can also face doubled machine charges and extra labour costs, reducing the benefit of the higher fresh-paddy price.

The Minimum Support Price, or MSP, is a government-announced benchmark intended to support farmers if market prices weaken. Paddy procurement centres are designated buying points where eligible produce can be brought for purchase through the official procurement system. The article identifies roughly ₹2,900 as the earlier MSP plus a ₹500 bonus for fine rice.

In the reported situation, demand has risen and relatively less farm produce is reaching procurement centres. Private persons are picking up paddy directly from farms. That means farmers may sell without taking grain to a centre, while the price they receive can differ from the earlier benchmark.

The article reports ₹3,500–₹4,500 per quintal for fresh produce, compared with about ₹2,900 for dried crop earlier. Rain could weaken returns by reducing grain weight or changing its colour. Procurement centres and private buyers therefore form different routes to market, with quality and timing affecting income.

A paddy panicle is the branching, grain-bearing head that develops at the top of a rice plant. It holds the grains that farmers eventually harvest. The article discusses panicles because rain can soak them, make them droop, and leave them in standing water.

Panicle formation is when these grain-bearing structures are developing. Flowering is also important because the crop is progressing toward grain production. The article does not detail the biology of these stages, but farmer Sankranthi Narasiah said crops ranging from pre-flowering to panicle formation could suffer great loss from wind and rain.

The practical risk differs by stage. Near-harvest panicles can increase machine time and require drying. Earlier-stage crops may be damaged before harvest develops. Officials therefore alerted farmers and planned resources such as tarpaulin sheets, while labour may be needed to move water away from affected fields.