A bout of poor weather at the wrong time in the growing season can set back or ruin a crop.

Once established, they will eventually move onto the edible pods, and may ruin the crop.

Many vegetables - including beetroot, lettuce, radishes and spinach - are prone to premature flowering and seeding (bolting), which ruins the crop.

A deluge of rain has ruined the crops.

They believe that sacrifices are necessary to appease the deities, since otherwise they might incur their wrath and this will ruin their crops.