What happened: Three days of unseasonal rain and wind have flattened ripe paddy across Raebareli district just as government buying opened on Sunday, 1 November 2026. Amar Ujala reports an early estimate that up to 25 per cent of the crop is affected, and Dainik Bhaskar gives the same figure. The district recorded 32 mm of rain over three days, according to Amar Ujala. The agriculture department will survey the damage.
Clouds gathered on Thursday, 29 October, and drizzle continued through Friday and Saturday. Harvesting and threshing have stopped in most villages. Cut paddy lying in fields has soaked, and farmers told Hindustan they fear the grain will turn black and spotted. Arhar (pigeon pea) has also fallen in several places. Amar Ujala puts the temperature drop at about 11 degrees in three days, while Hindustan reports 7 to 8 degrees. The Indira Gandhi Rashtriya Uran Akademi at Fursatganj recorded a maximum of 21.8 degrees Celsius and a minimum of 19.7 degrees on Saturday.
Why it matters: Paddy covers 1,60,345 hectares in the district, and about four lakh farmers are worried, Amar Ujala reports. The worst hit are the big paddy blocks: Bachhrawan, Maharajganj, Shivgarh, Amawan, Unchahar, Harchandpur and Rohania. The district has 91 purchase centres and a target of 1.81 lakh tonnes. Deputy RMO Kamlesh Pandey told Amar Ujala that centres will not weigh paddy with more than 17 per cent moisture, so normal buying may take about 15 days. The minimum support price is Rs 2,441 per quintal for common paddy and Rs 2,461 for Grade A, PTI reported. Amar Ujala says the open market rate is about Rs 2,700 per quintal.
Honest opinion: The rain has hit in the same week the buying season opened, and the moisture rule means wet grain will be turned back at first. Small farmers who need cash for wheat sowing may sell to private traders before their grain dries. Dry, clean paddy can fetch more in the open market now, but stained grain is likely to sell below that rate. The survey figures will decide any relief, and coverage so far says little about how and when farmers will be told the results. Expect slow arrivals at centres for about two weeks if the weather clears. Confidence: medium.
What you should do: Dry your paddy fully before taking it to a centre, and register or renew your name on the food and civil supplies department website or the UP Kisan Mitra app. The state says payment will reach your bank account within 48 hours of purchase, with Rs 20 per quintal extra for unloading and cleaning. If your crop is insured, report the loss to your bank or the agriculture department without delay, because claims carry time limits.
Sources
Amar Ujala (Samvad News Agency), “Raebareli News: Barish se kheton mein bichhi dhan ki fasal”, 1 November 2026, 1:09 AM IST, https://www.amarujala.com/uttar-pradesh/raebareli/paddy-crop-flattened-in-the-fields-due-to-rain-raebareli-news-c-101-1-slko1031-171188-2026-11-01
Hindustan, “20 ghante lagatar barish se dhan ki fasal dharashayi”, 31 October 2026, 11:42 PM IST, https://www.livehindustan.com/uttar-pradesh/raebareli/story-rain-damages-paddy-crops-in-raebareli-farmers-fear-losses-201793470366773.html
Dainik Bhaskar, “Bemausam barish se dhan ki fasal kheton mein giri”, 1 November 2026, updated 2:56 PM IST, https://www.bhaskar.com/local/uttar-pradesh/raibareli/rasoolpur/news/raebareli-paddy-crop-damage-unseasonal-rain-survey-agriculture-139558468.html
PTI Bhasha via IBC24, paddy procurement in Lucknow, Raebareli from 1 November, 30 October 2026, 5:36 PM IST, https://www.ibc24.in/business/paddy-procurement-in-eastern-uttar-pradesh-as-well-as-lucknow-rae-bareli-from-november-1-3814228.html
Dhara Lakshya Samachar, 91 paddy purchase centres approved in district, 26 September 2026, https://dharalakshyasamachar.com/?p=30515
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