Unseasonal rains and hailstorms have caused damage to rabi crops, especially wheat, gram, and mustard, which were ready to be harvested.
The Indian Meteorological Department (IMD) has predicted similar conditions in Northwest, central, east, and northeast India on March 20.
Rainfall in wheat-growing areas on March 18 ranged from 137 per cent to 10,000 per cent above normal, while excess rainfall in the same region on March 17 ranged from 540 percent to 10,000 per cent.
The distribution of rainfall has been erratic, with only the Etawah district receiving rainfall 4,900 percent above normal on March 16.
Seven out of 42 districts in Eastern UP received significant rain of 292 per cent above normal on March 17.
The five states of UP, MP, Punjab, Haryana, and Rajasthan account for 85 percent of India's wheat production.
The rainfall severely damaged wheat and gram crops in Rajasthan due to the lack of storage facilities, and crops in other areas got submerged under the rain.
The excess rain has dampened the spirits of farmers and government agencies in Punjab and Haryana, where yields are the highest in the country at 5 tonnes/hectare (T/Ha), contributing to India's buffer stock.