The Impressive TimesNEW DELHI: The Centre has intensified its preparedness measures to tackle the possible impact of El Niño on the ongoing southwest monsoon, with Union Agriculture and Farmers’ Welfare Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan assuring that all necessary steps are being taken to safeguard farmers and ensure smooth progress of the Kharif season.
Addressing the media after a high-level review meeting in New Delhi, Chouhan said the government has activated a comprehensive monitoring mechanism and is conducting regular weekly reviews to closely track rainfall, crop sowing, weather conditions and market trends. He said that despite an uncertain monsoon outlook, the Centre is fully prepared with contingency plans, seed reserves and financial support mechanisms.
The Minister noted that the rainfall situation has improved in July after a challenging start to the monsoon. The overall rainfall deficit, which stood at 33 per cent in June, has narrowed to 24 per cent, while the number of rainfall-deficient districts has reduced from 262 to 178 following improved precipitation in several parts of the country.
He said the Centre is closely monitoring conditions in Maharashtra, Madhya Pradesh, Gujarat, Uttar Pradesh, Rajasthan, Karnataka, Bihar, Jharkhand, Telangana, Andhra Pradesh, Punjab, West Bengal and Odisha. According to Chouhan, further improvement in rainfall during July is expected to accelerate Kharif sowing across these states.
So far, Kharif crops have been sown over 350.85 lakh hectares, around 91.95 lakh hectares lower than the corresponding period last year due to the delayed arrival of the monsoon. Soybean and cotton cultivation have been particularly affected. To minimise risks, farmers have been advised to shift towards short-duration and low water-intensive crops such as maize, bajra and moong wherever suitable.
Chouhan said preparations for a possible El Niño situation began in April. The Ministry, in collaboration with the Indian Council of Agricultural Research (ICAR), prepared district-specific contingency plans and shared them with state governments. During the ‘Khet Bachao Abhiyan’ in June, more than 1.24 lakh awareness programmes were organised across the country, benefiting over 80 lakh farmers.
To ensure uninterrupted agricultural operations, the government has maintained a national seed reserve of nearly 1.75 lakh quintals. Simultaneously, the Kisan Credit Card campaign has been intensified, with over 94,000 applications approved out of 1.14 lakh received by June-end.
The Minister also stressed that efforts are being stepped up to increase enrolment under the Pradhan Mantri Fasal Bima Yojana, providing financial security to farmers against weather-related crop losses. He said dedicated monitoring cells, including the El Niño Monitoring Cell, Crop Weather Watch Group and state-level control rooms, are functioning round-the-clock to ensure timely interventions and support for farmers throughout the Kharif season.
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