Farmers stunned as mystery disease devastates staple crop in key region: 'The rice inside is not there'
According to The Shillong Times, "paddy fields across the plain belt region of Meghalaya" are losing 20-80% of their rice crops due to this mysterious disease.
Rajabala MLA Mizanur Rahman Kazi said, "The paddy crops look fine and normal from the outside, but the rice inside is not there."
According to Iowa State University, plants need three things to get a disease. First, the plant needs to be able to catch the disease. Second, the pathogen must already be present. Third, it requires favorable weather conditions for the disease to develop.
GeoPard Agriculture said some of those conditions are "low or high temperature and excess or lack of moisture."
Down to Earth reported that India's earliest heat wave was recorded in March 2025. Krishi Jagran also reported Meghalaya was forecasted to experience heavy to very heavy rainfall at the end of April.
While weather events were already going to occur, rising temperatures intensify them. According to a blog post by Journalist and Tech investor Molly Wood, rising temperatures are like steroids for the weather.
The rice crop failure is "raising serious concerns over food security and economic stability in one of the state's most agriculturally productive areas," per The Shillong Times.
Kazi said the extent of the damage won't be clear until a formal survey is conducted.
Kazi contacted the sub-divisional officer of Dadenggre to get in touch with the Agriculture Department so an official investigation could occur to determine the cause. He also wrote a letter to the agriculture minister, Ampareen Lyngdoh, hoping for swift action.
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Since rising temperatures are caused by reliance on dirty energy, humans must transition to non-polluting energy sources, such as solar power. By installing solar panels, you can also become more resilient during extreme weather events. For instance, you won't have to rely on the grid to power your home in a power outage.
EnergySage offers a free tool to help you find the best deal on installation, which can even help you save up to $10,000 on installation costs. Solar power can save you money, too. It can get your energy bill down to almost zero.
While the Indian farmers don't know what's happening with their crops, it's vital to explore critical climate issues to understand how to combat them.
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