The Government of India has stepped up its preparedness for the Kharif season amid concerns over the possible impact of El Niño on the southwest monsoon. According to Union Agriculture and Farmers’ Welfare Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan, the government has activated a comprehensive monitoring and response mechanism to support farmers and minimise the impact of rainfall-related uncertainties.
Addressing the media after a high-level review meeting in New Delhi, Chouhan said that while June recorded a 33 percent rainfall deficit, the situation improved in early July, reducing the overall deficit to 24 percent. He noted that recent rainfall in several parts of the country has helped improve conditions, with the number of rainfall-deficient districts declining from 262 to 178.
The Centre is closely monitoring the monsoon situation in major agricultural states, including Maharashtra, Madhya Pradesh, Gujarat, Uttar Pradesh, Rajasthan, Karnataka, Bihar, Jharkhand, Telangana, Andhra Pradesh, Punjab, West Bengal and Odisha. The minister expressed confidence that rainfall activity would improve further during July, helping accelerate Kharif sowing operations.
According to official data, Kharif sowing has been completed across 350.85 lakh hectares so far, which is around 91.95 lakh hectares lower than the corresponding period last year. Delayed monsoon conditions have particularly affected the sowing of crops such as soybean and cotton. To address this challenge, farmers have been advised to consider short-duration and low water-requirement crops such as maize, bajra and moong wherever suitable.
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The minister said preparations for a possible monsoon shortfall began in April. In collaboration with the Indian Council of Agricultural Research (ICAR), district-level contingency plans were prepared and shared with state governments in advance. As part of the nationwide Khet Bachao Abhiyan conducted in June, more than 1.24 lakh programmes were organised, reaching over 80 lakh farmers across the country.
To ensure seed availability during the sowing season, the government has maintained a national seed reserve of approximately 1.75 lakh quintals. Efforts to improve farmers’ access to institutional credit have also been intensified through the Kisan Credit Card campaign, under which more than 94,000 applications were approved out of 1.14 lakh applications received by June 30.
The government is also encouraging wider participation in the Pradhan Mantri Fasal Bima Yojana (PMFBY) to provide financial protection against weather-related crop losses.
To strengthen preparedness, multiple monitoring mechanisms have been activated, including the El Niño Monitoring Cell, Crop Weather Watch Group, state-level control rooms and designated officials. These systems are continuously tracking rainfall patterns, crop sowing progress, crop conditions and market trends.
The Centre said it remains fully prepared to respond to emerging challenges through timely interventions, resource availability and coordinated action, to support farmers throughout the Kharif season.
