First the drought and then devastating floods. There seems to be no end to the Indian farmers' misery.

Crucial paddy, onion, sugarcane and horticulture crops have been lost in the floods in Karnataka, Andhra Pradesh and Maharashtra. Agriculture commissioners of the affected states are assessing the situation and the loss.

Paddy and sugarcane production may plunge further than the post-drought estimates due to floods and just ahead of the festival season, prices may sky rocket.

In Karnataka alone, 206 people are dead, 1,490 villages are marooned and more than crop and property worth more than Rs16,500 crore has been damaged. Then there is the extent of damage and loss in Andhra Pradesh.

With tracts of crops destroyed and prices of food items set to soar, rehabilitation remains the big challenge in the southern states after the floods.