Aparna Pallavi and Archita Bhatta

From what to sow to when to reap, farmers need weather forecast at every step. It can make or break them

The monsoon forecast in May said India would receive good rains this year, and the onset was predicted for the first week of June. Accordingly, farmer Lakshinarain Baghel bought 25,000 kg soybean seeds for his 25 hectares (ha) at Rs 30 a kg. He chose a long-duration variety that yields a good crop when water is sufficient. He prepared the field for sowing, but three weeks of June passed with no rain. Panic gripped the region in central Madhya Pradesh as yet another drought appeared imminent.

On June 25, Baghel sold his seed stock at Rs 22 a kg