India, April 3 -- It's early morning. The soft sunlight is filtering through the leaves of the mango trees and falling to the ground. But Rajkumar Singh, standing in the middle of his orchard, is not marvelling at the natural beauty. Instead, his gaze repeatedly darts to the branches that, just a few days ago, were brimming with blossoms. Today, those same branches look barren. With each gust of wind, it's as if his hopes have been shattered. He says, "Perhaps nothing special will happen this time either..."

For Singh, who has been cultivating mangoes in Malihabad, Uttar Pradesh, for the past several years, mangoes aren't just a crop; they're his identity, his life, the result of generations of hard work. But this time, the weather has o...