India, Aug. 18 -- Manipur's farmers are grappling with an erratic monsoon and a severe rainfall deficit that threatens the state's rice-dependent agrarian economy.

Delayed rains have pushed paddy transplantation to late July, stunting crops, slashing yields by up to half, and forcing a shift from traditional varieties to short-duration hybrids, while rising input costs and conflict deepen rural distress.

Farmers in Manipur in India's Northeast are beginning to feel the strain from a changing climate. As warming causes the rainfall pattern to change across the state, farmers are bearing the brunt, as Down To Earth (DTE) found out on the ground.

The situation is especially grim this monsoon in Manipur.

According to the India Meteorologi...