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Informist, Tuesday, Jun. 23, 2026

 

MUMBAI – The Centre, along with the Indian Council of Agricultural Research and ICAR – Central Research Institute for Dryland Agriculture, has prepared district agriculture contingency plans for all districts likely to be affected by weak monsoon conditions due to the emerging El Nino. Around 315 districts have been identified to be prone to El Nino-related weather risks, according to a release.

 

The Southwest monsoon is significantly delayed this year and rainfall so far has been around 43% below normal. According to the Indian Meteorological Department forecasts, rainfall is likely to remain weak even during the week ending Jul. 2. This could directly affect kharif crops, particularly in rainfed regions where agriculture is heavily dependent on monsoon rains. 

 

Out of the 315 identified districts, 111 districts have been categorised as high priority, where irrigation coverage is below 25%. Another 76 districts fall under the medium-priority category with irrigation coverage between 25% and 50%, while 128 districts have been classified as low priority owing to relatively better irrigation facilities through dams and other sources, the release said. 

 

A majority of these districts are located across 12 states--Madhya Pradesh, Maharashtra, Gujarat, Uttar Pradesh, Rajasthan, Karnataka, Bihar, Jharkhand, Telangana, Andhra Pradesh and Odisha, according to the release. 

 

Union Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan said changing crop strategy in rainfed areas has become the need of the hour. States have been advised to promote short-duration crop varieties and those capable of delivering higher yields with lower water requirements, according to the release. Farmers have been encouraged to adopt crop diversification to reduce dependence on a single crop and distribute risks across multiple crops. Intercropping and mixed farming practices are also being promoted to ensure that if one crop is affected, farmers can still generate income from others, it said.

 

"We will not allow fields to remain vacant. There will be sufficient rainfall for some crop to be cultivated, and our preparations are aligned accordingly," Chouhan said.  

 

Water conservation has been accorded top priority amid the possibility of a weak monsoon, the release said. While some basins have storage levels above normal, others are witnessing deficits ranging from 20% to 60%, it said. States have been asked to prioritise interventions accordingly.

 

Meanwhile, Chouhan said a severely weak monsoon could lead to fodder shortages for livestock. To address this possibility, advanced supply plans are being prepared to transport fodder from surplus regions to deficit areas. Fodder stocking, alternative fodder sources and supply chains are being planned in advance to prevent sudden disruptions for livestock owners. The Centre and states will jointly strengthen monitoring mechanisms to prevent black marketing and hoarding of fodder, according to the release.  End

 

Reported by Taniva Singha Roy

Edited by Deepshikha Bhardwaj

 

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