Centre Reviews Kharif Preparedness Amid El Nino Issue

New Delhi: The Ministry of Agriculture and ICAR jointly assessed districts vulnerable to low rainfall and inadequate irrigation based on scientific data. Around 315 districts have been identified as potentially affected by weak monsoon conditions.

Of these 315 districts, 111 districts have been categorised as high priority, where irrigation coverage is below 25 per cent. Another 76 districts fall under the medium-priority category with irrigation coverage between 25 and 50 per cent, while 128 districts are classified as low priority owing to relatively better irrigation facilities through dams and other sources.

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

Union Agriculture Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan told reporters that ICAR and ICAR-CRIDA have prepared District Agriculture Contingency Plans for all districts.

"These plans incorporate district-specific climatic conditions, cropping patterns, water resources and risk factors and prescribe measures such as suitable alternative crops under low rainfall conditions, crop diversification strategies, optimum use of available water resources and additional income opportunities to mitigate risks," Chouhan said.

He directed states and district administrations to ensure that DACPs do not remain confined to files but are translated into actionable field plans. "The plans should be reviewed and updated according to local conditions and kept ready as operational documents for immediate implementation whenever required. The success of any contingency plan depends on effective implementation at the grassroots level and urged district administrations to execute them with full commitment," the Ministry of Agriculture & Farmers Welfare said in a statement.

Water Conservation & Irrigation Management:

The ministry said that water conservation has been accorded top priority amid the possibility of a weak monsoon.

"Every drop of water is precious, and planning is being carried out with that objective. The government has instructed that ponds, reservoirs, streams, farm ponds, check dams, stop dams and temporary bunding structures be repaired and strengthened immediately," the statement added.

Advance Arrangements for Seeds, Fertilisers:

Additional seed stocks have been earmarked for potentially affected districts. Around one per cent extra seed stock has been reserved specifically for districts where resowing may become necessary. According to reports from the Ministry of Fertilisers, the availability of all major fertilisers, including urea, DAP, MOP, NPK and SSP, is satisfactory for the Kharif season, it stated.

Livestock and Fodder Management:

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, it added.

Production Targets, Storage and Food Security:

According to the ministry, several major production targets set for Kharif 2025, including rice, maize and total foodgrain output, have already been achieved or exceeded. For Kharif 2026, a foodgrain production target of around 176 million tonnes has been set, taking into account monsoon forecasts, MSP, demand trends, previous performance and ongoing government schemes. Buffer stocks of both rice and wheat remain comfortable, and therefore there is no immediate threat to food security despite concerns over a weak monsoon.

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