With El Niño a possibility and the monsoon looking weak or uncertain this year, the central government has stepped up its preparations for the Kharif season. Union Minister for Agriculture & Farmers Welfare and Rural Development Shivraj Singh Chouhan chaired a high-level virtual meeting today with state agriculture ministers, senior officials, district collectors, and experts from ICAR, ICAR-CRIDA, and the India Meteorological Department to take stock of the situation nationwide. He told farmers that the Centre and state governments are working together on all the measures needed to handle any challenge that comes up.
Weak monsoon scenario and potential impact
Speaking at a press conference after the meeting, Chouhan said the southwest monsoon has been significantly delayed this year, with rainfall so far running around 43 per cent below normal. IMD forecasts suggest rainfall will stay weak through the week ending July 2 as well. That could hit Kharif crops hard, especially in rainfed regions where farming depends almost entirely on the monsoon. With these risks in mind, the central government, under Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s leadership, has been preparing in advance for several days now. Chouhan said the government isn’t waiting for things to get worse, it’s proactively rolling out scientific planning and field-level interventions to limit the damage and protect farmers’ livelihoods.
315 districts flagged as potentially affected
Chouhan said the Ministry of Agriculture and ICAR jointly assessed districts vulnerable to low rainfall and poor irrigation using scientific data, and around 315 districts have come up as potentially affected by weak monsoon conditions. Of these, 111 are classified high priority, where irrigation covers less than 25 per cent of the area. Another 76 fall into the medium-priority bracket, with irrigation coverage between 25 and 50 per cent, while 128 are low priority thanks to comparatively better irrigation through dams and other sources. Most of these districts sit across 12 states, Madhya Pradesh, Maharashtra, Gujarat, Uttar Pradesh, Rajasthan, Karnataka, Bihar, Jharkhand, Telangana, Andhra Pradesh, and Odisha. The meeting included detailed discussions with agriculture ministers and district collectors from these states, who were urged to speed up preparedness on the ground.
District plans as the first line of defence
Chouhan said ICAR and ICAR-CRIDA have drawn up District Agriculture Contingency Plans for every district. These factor in local climate conditions, cropping patterns, water resources, and risk factors, and lay out measures such as alternative crops suited to low rainfall, crop diversification strategies, optimal use of available water, and additional income options to cushion the risk. He told states and district administrations that these plans can’t just sit in files, and they need to become actionable for field plans, reviewed and updated to match local conditions, and kept ready to roll out the moment they’re needed. He stressed that any contingency plan only works if it’s implemented properly at the grassroots level and urged district administrations to follow through with full commitment.
Water conservation and irrigation management
Water conservation has been made a top priority given the weak monsoon outlook. Chouhan said every drop of water counts, and planning is being done with that in mind. He directed that ponds, reservoirs, streams, farm ponds, check dams, stop dams, and temporary bunding structures be repaired and reinforced right away. Water conservation and harvesting work under MGNREGA, along with upcoming rural development programmes like VB-GRAMG, should be prioritised so that job creation and water storage capacity grow together. Districts considered sensitive have been told to make drinking water supply their top concern and, where needed, arrange to move water from surplus regions to deficit ones. The meeting also reviewed reservoir storage levels basin by basin, some basins are above normal, while others are running deficits of 20 to 60 per cent. States have been asked to prioritise their interventions accordingly.
Crop strategy: short-duration, low-water, diversified crops
Chouhan said shifting crop strategy in rainfed areas is now essential. States have been told to push short-duration crop varieties and ones that give higher yields with less water. Farmers are being encouraged to diversify their crops so they’re not relying on a single one and risk gets spread out. Intercropping and mixed farming are also being promoted, so that if one crop fails, farmers can still earn from the others. Pulses, Shri Anna (millets), and oilseeds are getting particular attention since they hold up comparatively well under limited moisture. States have also been told to switch to alternative crop options immediately if there’s a long gap between the normal sowing window and the rains actually arriving. “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.
Advance arrangements for seeds, fertilisers and inputs
On input availability, Chouhan said seed arrangements for Kharif are already in place, with extra stocks set aside for the districts flagged as potentially affected. Around one per cent of additional seed stock has specifically been reserved for districts where resowing might be necessary. Per reports from the Ministry of Fertilisers, supplies of all major fertilisers, urea, DAP, MOP, NPK, and SSP and look adequate for the season. Separate monitoring systems are tracking timely distribution in districts vulnerable to a weak monsoon, so farmers can sow as soon as conditions turn favourable. The minister stressed that sowing should only happen after cumulative rainfall of 75–100 mm and adequate soil moisture, sowing too early after light rain raises the risk of seed damage and having to resow.
Scientific advisory through KVKs and digital platforms
Chouhan pointed to the country’s 731 Krishi Vigyan Kendras as the main channel for getting technical guidance and crop management advice to farmers. KVKs and Agro-Meteorological Advisory Units have been told to work closely with districts and keep guiding farmers on the likely effects of El Niño and a weak monsoon. Information will go out through Agro-Met advisories, SMS and WhatsApp messages, call centres, radio and TV broadcasts, and social media. The goal is to make sure every farmer gets timely, science-backed information to make informed calls on sowing, crop changes, and input use.
Livestock and fodder management
A severely weak monsoon could create fodder shortages for livestock, Chouhan said. To get ahead of that, advance supply plans are being drawn up to move fodder from surplus regions to deficit ones. Fodder stocking, alternative fodder sources, and supply chains are being planned in advance to avoid sudden disruptions for livestock owners, and the Centre and states will jointly tighten monitoring to stop black marketing and hoarding of fodder.
Financial security for farmers: PMFBY, KCC and PM-KISAN
Chouhan said preparedness can’t stop at crops and water, farmers’ financial security matters just as much. There’s a particular push to expand coverage under the Pradhan Mantri Fasal Bima Yojana in the potentially affected districts, to ensure timely compensation if crops are lost. States have been told to speed up issuing Kisan Credit Cards to eligible farmers so they have the resources to deal with seed losses, resowing, and other farming expenses. On the PM-KISAN instalment released recently, Chouhan said farmers can use those funds for seeds, fertilisers, and other essential inputs. Together, he said, PMFBY, KCC, and PM-KISAN form a comprehensive support system for farmers facing challenges like El Niño.
Multi-tier coordination and monitoring
Chouhan said contingency measures ultimately succeed or fail at the district level. To that end, a multi-tier coordination framework now spans the Centre, states, districts, blocks, and villages, with clear responsibilities at each level. Regular meetings and real-time data-sharing are being set up among district collectors, agriculture departments, water resources departments, rural development departments, animal husbandry departments, KVKs, ATMA, and other institutions. At the national level, an “El Niño Monitoring Cell” and a “Crop Weather Watch Group” have been set up in New Delhi to continuously track monsoon progress, sowing, crop conditions, input supplies, and market indicators. States have also been told to set up control rooms and name nodal officers to coordinate with the Centre — most have already done so. The minister said secretary-level reviews happen weekly, and he personally reviews the El Niño situation every Tuesday.
Production targets, storage and food security
Several major Kharif 2025 production targets, including rice, maize, and total foodgrain output, have already been met or exceeded. For Kharif 2026, the foodgrain production target has been set at around 176 million tonnes, factoring in monsoon forecasts, MSP, demand trends, past performance, and ongoing government schemes. Buffer stocks of rice and wheat remain comfortable, so there’s no immediate threat to food security despite the weak-monsoon concerns.
Addressing farmers directly, Chouhan said that despite the possibility of a weak monsoon, the country is fully prepared to deal with whatever comes collectively. “There is no need to panic. What is required is preparedness and collective action. If the Centre and states, scientific institutions, district administrations and farmers work in coordination, the challenge posed by El Niño can be converted into an opportunity where water conservation, crop diversification, scientific advisories and social security schemes together provide a protective shield for farmers,” he said. He added that he’s confident that, with all stakeholders working together, India’s agriculture, livestock, and rural economy can be shielded from major disruption, and farmers’ livelihoods strengthened through every means available.
M.C.Q.
Question 1: District Agriculture Contingency Plans for managing the impact of a weak monsoon have been prepared jointly by:
- A. IMD and NABARD
- B. ICAR and ICAR-CRIDA
- C. NITI Aayog and FCI
- D. CWC and ISRO
Question 2: Which of the following government schemes provides insurance coverage against crop losses for farmers?
- A. PM-KISAN
- B. Kisan Credit Card (KCC)
- C. Pradhan Mantri Fasal Bima Yojana (PMFBY)
- D. PM Gram Sadak Yojana
