Crop losses across India are increasing as a mix of unseasonal rainfall, flooding, spreading pests, land degradation and rising surface ozone reshape agriculture. In Kerala, unseasonal rains during last year’s paddy harvest forced farmers to leave ripe crops in flooded fields; harvesting machines could not operate and, without storage or drying facilities, grain and straw rotted, the Thanal Trust said.
International and national data underline the problem’s scale: the FAO estimates up to 40 per cent of crops are lost each year to pests and diseases worldwide, and government estimates put losses in India at about 30 per cent. A FAO report also finds 1.7 billion people live where yields are falling because of land degradation.
Contamination by fungal toxins is a serious hidden risk. Studies by the Tata-Cornell Institute in Uttar Pradesh found high aflatoxin levels in staples such as rice, wheat, maize and sorghum, and experts warn mycotoxins can cause cancer. Researchers say better measurement of when, where and how crops are lost is needed, and policies should target the farmers who bear the greatest costs.
Technologies such as AI, remote sensing, drones, satellite data and machine-learning models improve early warning and can detect crop stress and pest outbreaks. However, farmers note that technology cannot replace basic infrastructure like storage and drying. Rising surface ozone across the Indo-Gangetic plains and central India also reduces yields and grain quality; Jayanarayanan Kuttipurath estimates India loses more than US$3 billion a year in rice production because of ozone damage. The GBCL project, funded by UK International Development and the Gates Foundation, held workshops in September–November 2025 to improve how losses are measured and to include small and marginal farmers.
Difficult words
- unseasonal — happening at an unusual time of year
- land degradation — soil and land becoming less productive
- aflatoxin — a toxic substance made by certain fungi
- mycotoxin — a toxic chemical produced by fungimycotoxins
- remote sensing — collecting data about Earth from a distance
- surface ozone — ozone gas present near the Earth's surface
- marginal — having a small or limited share
Tip: hover, focus or tap highlighted words in the article to see quick definitions while you read or listen.
Discussion questions
- How would better storage and drying facilities help reduce the types of losses described in the article? Give one or two examples.
- What are the benefits and the limits of using technologies such as AI, drones and satellite data to help farmers, according to the article?
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