Govt readies contingency plans for Kharif season: Chouhan

The Centre is fully prepared to mitigate any adverse impact of the El Nino weather phenomenon on this year’s Kharif crop, Union Agriculture Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan said on Thursday, as he called for integrated farming and greater self-reliance in pulses and oilseeds.

“Rather than worrying, preparation is required. Contingency plans will be made for affected districts and crop changes will be considered wherever necessary,” Chouhan told reporters on the sidelines of the two-day National Kharif Conference.

The Ministry is in the process of identifying districts for alternative crops and ensuring seed availability in the event of an El Nino impact, he said.

The India Meteorological Department (IMD) had, in its first-stage forecast on April 13, projected a below-normal southwest monsoon for 2026, with rainfall likely to be around 92 per cent of the long-period average.

The World Meteorological Organisation (WMO) has indicated a probable return of El Nino conditions as early as May-July, while the US-based National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), in its May 11 ENSO update, said El Nino conditions are likely to emerge during May-June and persist through year-end.

El Nino, characterised by unusual warming of surface waters in the eastern tropical Pacific Ocean, is typically associated with drier and hotter conditions in India.

Kharif (summer) sowing has just begun in some parts of India, but it is still in the very early stages. Farmers have started preparing fields for early sowing (especially of short-duration crops such as pulses, coarse cereals, and some cotton) in regions that have received pre-monsoon rains.

Normal Kharif sowing starts in June and peaks in June-July with the arrival and progress of the southwest monsoon.

Notwithstanding weather challenges, India is on track to achieve a record foodgrain production of 376.56 million tonnes in the 2025-26 crop year (July-June), an increase of 18.8 million tonnes over the previous year, Chouhan said.

ICAR Director General ML Jat noted that rice output targets set for 2047 had already been met, underscoring the case for crop diversification.

“We don’t need 50 million hectares under rice. We need 35 million hectares by 2047. If we have to offload 15 million hectares, redirecting that to oilseeds and pulses could make us self-reliant in those crops,” he said.

Jat also flagged that over 100 districts are using fertilisers beyond scientifically recommended levels, calling for a multi-pronged strategy that includes nutrient-efficient crop breeding, greater use of organic and biological inputs, and improved soil health management.

Seed quality and data ecosystem were flagged as priority areas. Delivering quality seeds to farmers alone could raise productivity by 15-20 per cent, Jat said, urging all stakeholders — including state farms, agricultural universities, and ICAR institutions — to prioritise seed production.

He also called for building a robust agricultural data ecosystem to support AI-driven interventions such as the Bharat Vistar platform.

Chouhan called for a unified approach under “Team Agriculture - One Nation, One Agriculture, One Team,” and warned that lack of seriousness at the State-level would not be tolerated. He said he would write to Chief Ministers if State Agriculture Ministers were absent from such conferences.

The Minister also directed officials to ensure timely seed distribution ahead of the monsoon, expand Kisan Credit Card coverage, expedite Farmer ID issuance, and take strict action against those selling spurious seeds, fertilisers, and pesticides.