India, March 23 -- Unseasonal rain and hailstorms sweeping across Maharashtra over the past few days have damaged standing Rabi crops on more than 56,000 acres, delivering a fresh blow to an already fragile farm economy and heightening concerns over deepening agrarian distress.

The losses come at a time when rural stress indicators remain stark. In the first nine months of 2025, the state reported 781 farmer suicides, with the Nagpur division in Vidarbha alone accounting for 296 deaths, a region long marked by rain-fed agriculture, climate volatility, and recurring crop failures.

Rabi crops, sown in winter (October-December) and harvested in spring (March-April), include staples such as wheat and pulses, along with high-value crops like...