Kavya S., a housewife at BTM Layout in Bengaluru, bought a 26-kg bag of Sona Masoori rice in June for ₹1,560. “This month the cost for the same quantity in the same shop was ₹1,950,” she rued. Radha Shinde, a resident from Vijayanagar in the city, said the second quality bullet rice that she bought last month was ₹1,600 for 26 kg, which is now ₹1,750. “I had to adjust by dropping some pulses from the grocery list,” she explained. Abdul Gafoor, a resident of J.C. Nagar, buys the exotic Jeera Fine variety of rice to cook only special dishes during weekends. “It now costs ₹285 per kg. A month ago, I bought it for ₹255,” he said.
The prices of all varieties of rice in Bengaluru’s retail market have gone up by anywhere between ₹10 and ₹15, even higher for the more exotic varieties. Traders in the city say that the upward trend is unlikely to change immediately, given the prevailing conditions on the agricultural fields and in the market.
Deficit rain in June and July because of El Nino, the impact of the West Asia war, and some local factors have all pushed the price of various rice varieties. Rice, a water-intensive crop and a staple across south India, has been impacted hard by poor monsoon in June-July and plummetting reservoir levels. Though rain has revived in some parts in August, too much time has been lost say farmers and experts. About 90% of the paddy is grown during the kharif season from June to October in Karnataka.
Technical snag adds to woes
About 500 km from Bengaluru, in the fields of Raichur and Koppal, key rice growing areas irrigated by the Tungabhadra Left Bank Main Canal, farmers are despondent for two reasons — delayed and deficit monsoon and technical snags that have cropped up just when the rains revived in August. The region remained dry in June and July, and when it is raining in August and reservoir levels are up, a breach near Mile 46 in Koppal district is causing delay in water release into the Tungabhadra Left Bank Main Canal, further delaying the kharif cycle.
Farmers engage in paddy transplantation in a field near Shivamogga, taking advantage of monsoon rains on August 6, 2026.
| Photo Credit:
S.K. Dinesh
The region is renowned for producing premium Sona Masoori rice, which is widely consumed not just across India but also exported to Sri Lanka, West Asia, several African nations, and other international destinations. This year, however, agricultural experts are advising cultivators to shift to less water-intensive crops such as jowar wherever possible.
Ideally, paddy transplantation should have been completed during July. Delayed transplantation not only reduces yield but also affects grain quality, thereby impacting the premium value of the rice produced in the region. According to Chamarasa Malipatil, honorary president of the Karnataka Rajya Raitha Sangha and a farmer leader from Manvi in Raichur district, this year’s production loss is almost inevitable.
Less than 30% of sowing
Farmers performing puja after the paddy harvest in a fields near Shivamogga.
| Photo Credit:
S.K. Dinesh
According to data from the Karnataka State Department of Agriculture (KSDA), only 2.02 lakh hectares sowing has been completed as against the target of 10 lakh hectares during the kharif season. Sowing of seeds or transplantation of saplings for cultivation of paddy has not even completed 30% of the total target.
Last year, the target was more than 10.63 lakh hectares, of which sowing on 9.13 lakh hectares was achieved in the kharif season, 0.23 lakh hectares in the rabi season, and 2.34 lakh hectares during the summer season. Overall, a total of 11.07 lakh hectares was achieved at the end of financial year 2025-26. Around 56.23 lakh tonnes of paddy was produced and 4,904 kgs of paddy was cultivated per hectare.
The data from Karnataka State Natural Disaster Management Authority (KSDMA) showed that the State recorded 357 mm of rainfall as against the normal 506 mm between June 1 and August 4, representing a departure of -28% and classified under the deficit category.
Most regions where paddy is cultivated in large quantities, including Raichur, Yadgiri, Ballari, Shivamogga, Mandya, and Mysuru, recorded large rainfall deficit. Agronomists and farmers across the State said that it is unlikely to achieve the target by the end of this month.
Malipatil said that nursery saplings that are available today are nearly two-and-a-half months old. Ideally, paddy should be transplanted using 30 to 35-day-old seedlings. “Aged seedlings cannot produce the same yield. Even if water reaches the fields now, the productivity will come down substantially,” he said. “Worse, most farmers did not even raise nursery beds this year because the government had announced that water from reservoirs would not be released for irrigation owing to poor storage. Only farmers who had access to borewells or other alternative water sources prepared nurseries. Those seedlings are not sufficient to cover the vast command area.”
Poor stocks in mills
Price of all rice varieties has increased by ₹10 to ₹15 in the past 15 to 20 days.
| Photo Credit:
J. ALLEN EGENUSE
While the future is not promising on the fields, in Bengaluru, Manjunath G., a rice trader on Millers Road, said that poor stock of paddy with the rice mills as well as farmers, and anticipation of poor arrivals owing to deficit rains this year, have pushed up prices in the past 15 to 20 days.
Manoj Jain, another rice trader in K.R. Market, said: “The price of rice will increase further in the coming days due to more demand and less stock. Hence, many are buying large quantities and stocking up.” Hoarding is only further pushing prices.
Shivakumar, general secretary, Karnataka State Rice Mills Association, said that they get paddy from Raichur, Ballari, Gangavati, Kampli, Siraguppa, and districts in Malnad region and Mandya. “Most of the available paddy stock was converted into rice in the mills in Karnataka and exported between January and April. Farmers sold off all their stock during this time assuming they can grow paddy this year.”
H.S. Basavarajappa, a farmer from Shivamogga, explained that small and marginal farmers across the State lack facilities like godown and sell off everything to the rice mills. Only a handful keep stock of paddy awaiting better prices. “Other farmers like me also buy 25-kg bags of rice from retail shops.”
Another reason for shortage in stocks of paddy was the damaged crest gates of the Tungabhadra dam that were replaced by Karnataka and Telangana in June 2026, he added. With gate number 19 washed away in 2024, the amount of water stored in the dams was low. As a result, many farmers could not cultivate paddy during the kharif season last year too. The Tungabhadra irrigation system supports nearly 12.1 lakh acres across Karnataka, Andhra Pradesh and Telangana, including about 8.7 lakh acres in Karnataka alone.
Ramesh Chandra Lahoti, member of Federation of Karnataka Chambers of Commerce and Industry (FKCCI), further explained that poor planning by government was another key reason for shortage. “There are two reasons behind the increase in the prices of rice in market — rain situation and the recent war. During the recent West Asia war crisis, rice was exported twice to Sri Lanka, West Asia, and other countries from Karnataka, Andhra Pradesh and other States. Usually, every year, it is exported only once. The Centre and the State should have planned the exports well keeping El Nino and its impact in mind. These countries majorly demand Sona steamed rice variety and Sona Masoori which is grown in Karnataka and Andhra Pradesh.”
Two methods of cultivation
G.R. Denesh, Professor of Agronomy and Scheme Head at All India Coordinated Research Projects (Rice) run by Indian Council of Agricultural Research (ICAR), explained that there are two methods followed by farmers in Karnataka for paddy cultivation. Direct Seeded Rice (DSR) method is a modern method where seeds are sown straight into the fields. It involves skipping the method of making nurseries and moving small plants and saves 30 to 50% water. “However, this method is followed by small percentage of farmers,” he said.
“Another method is transplantation which is popularly known as naati method. It involves transplanting saplings which actually requires a lot of water as the water has to remain stagnant in the fields. Usually during seasons like El Nino, agriculture scientists, institutions and even the state governments suggest farmers opt for DSR method. However, it is not easy to make the switch. Paddy being a water-intensive crop requires at least 4,500 to 5,000 litres of water for 1 kg of paddy cultivation,” he pointed out.
In Karnataka, another 25 to 30 days are left for sowing or transplanting, and the State government should take an immediate decision to release water from various dams for irrigation to salvage the situation, he suggested.
Concurring with the expert, Sudheer Kumar, a farmer in Mandya, explained, “So far, many farmers in Mandya district had not sown seeds or transplanted saplings. But after receiving rains recently, farmers have started the process with the water available from their borewells. However, borewell water is not sufficient. Now, we are waiting for the government to decide soon and release water from dams. Harangi and Kabini dams have sufficient water. The gods should bless farmers with rain for another 20 to 25 days.”
But for farmers like Basavarajappa, there is no hope even now. He said that no sowing or transplanting process had been done in the Malnad areas fed by water from the Bhadra reservoir. “Since the water levels are low in Bhadra, farmers are not likely to cultivate paddy for the kharif season.”
Mohan Gowda, a farmer from Mandya, emphasised the government’s role in making good the losses. “They must provide financial relief and increase the minimum support price.“ At present, it is only ₹2,441 per quintal which is not close to recovering the expenses. The cost of seeds, labour and pesticides have also increased recently. The basic price of seeds for 1 kg starts from ₹650 to ₹700,” he said.
No decision on water for irrigation
Speaking to the Hindu, Ramalinga Reddy, Minister for Major and Medium Irrigation for Karnataka, said, “The government is aware that the inflow of water in the Tungabhadra dam has increased. We will soon conduct Irrigation Consultative Committee meeting and decide on letting water for irrigation.“
However, in the Krishnaraja Sagar, the water level is still not even 50%, he said. “Hence for now, our priority is drinking water. Therefore, we are filling lakes and other sources with the inflow of water.”
On the other hand, water from the Almatti dam on the borders of Vijayapura and Bagalkot districts as well as water from the Narayanapur dam in Yadgir was let out for irrigation.
(With additional inputs by Kumar Buradikatti in Kalaburagi)
