El Nino threat: Centre rolls out kharif contingency plan to shield crops
Officials said they have instructed states to prepare district-wise crop strategies and promote short-duration crops such as pulses, some millets and vegetables during the kharif season as they require less water, mature quickly and help mitigate the vagaries of weather conditions.
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The India Meteorological Department has predicted monsoon rainfall to be around 92% of the long-term average and warned of a 35% chance of drought-like conditions due to the emergence of El Niño, a climate pattern associated with weak monsoons and low agricultural production.
The government is distributing drought-resistant seed varieties in some areas where the impact of El Niño is expected to be more pronounced, a senior official familiar with the matter said.
Unlike the usual preparations for the Kharif season, this year the emphasis is on weather monitoring and types of seeds distributed, he said, adding that the ministry is working in mission mode to provide timely advice, resources and alternatives to farmers through region-specific and crop-specific strategies.
Also Read: El Nino creates problems for Kharif harvests in India
Weather Advisories
Kharif season begins with the sowing of major crops such as paddy, pulses, oilseeds, sugarcane and cotton across the country in June and July and culminates in harvesting in September and October. The preparations coincide with growing concerns about rising fertilizer prices caused by global supply chain disruptions resulting from tensions around the Strait of Hormuz during the Iran war. The government has also issued region-specific planting and weather advisories to raise awareness among farmers in a challenging year to prevent crop failure due to variable weather conditions and minimize economic losses through targeted, localized measures.
The ministry also instructed state agriculture departments to closely monitor irrigation and reservoir levels to counter the effects of El Niño.
Union agriculture and farmers’ welfare minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan had directed officials to develop “action plans to deal with possible adverse weather conditions” at a meeting held last month to assess the state of the agriculture sector and preparations for the upcoming kharif season.
The Minister also instructed the authorities to ensure the support of seeds, fertilizers and other basic agricultural inputs, alternative crop options, delayed planting strategies and drought-resistant varieties so that farmers can get practical and quick solutions.
According to a study by a group of agricultural scientists from an institution affiliated with the Indian Council of Agricultural Research, production of major kharif crops dropped by more than 10% in many regions during El Niño years, prompting the government to take remedial measures.
