Jaishankar warns of major food crisis as Centre trims foodgrain target over El Nino
New Delhi: External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar has warned of a "major food crisis" in the coming months, citing fertiliser shortages, disrupted grain shipments and a super El Nino. He spoke at a conversation hosted by the Asia Society on Monday.
The government's own crop planning pointed the same way the next day. Agriculture Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan on Tuesday set a lower foodgrain production target of 373.93 million tonnes for the 2026-27 crop year. That is 2.63 million tonnes below the 376.56 million tonnes produced in 2025-26.
"Based on a scientific assessment of El Nino conditions, a total national foodgrain production target of 373.93 million tonnes has been set for 2026-27," Mr Chouhan told a national conference in Delhi. The announcement came on Tuesday evening, and PTI filed the report at 7.37 pm.
He said water availability and soil moisture were factored in, and states were consulted on cropping patterns. Rabi planning is being done keeping in view El Nino, drought and floods in parts of the country during the just-completed kharif season, he added.
The steepest fall in acreage is in paddy, down about 16.32 lakh hectares, with maize, soybean and cotton also lower. Acreage under urad, bajra, jowar, sesame, sunflower, moong and tur has risen.
Mr Jaishankar said the Ukraine conflict and the conflict in Iran and the Gulf have had a "devastating impact" on Global South economies. Global fertiliser production has been disrupted because key producers are in West Asia and Russia, he said.
"Some of the major grain exporters will not be able to send out their shipments, particularly out to the Black Sea," he said. Energy markets are under pressure from physical insecurity and diplomatic manoeuvring, he added.
He said the combined pressure of energy, food, fertiliser and finance has been "really very very stressful". "There is going to be a major food crisis probably in the coming months," Mr Jaishankar said.
Mr Chouhan said fertiliser prices have nearly doubled in some cases but there is no shortage in the country. The requirement for 2026-27 is estimated at 380 lakh tonnes against an opening stock of over 163 lakh tonnes.
He said the rainfall deficit is about 12 per cent, below the 20 per cent level at which a situation is considered drought. Concerns persist in Karnataka, Maharashtra, parts of Andhra Pradesh, Telangana and Rajasthan.
A Central team will visit Karnataka on October 3 at the state's request, the minister said.
(With inputs from PTI)
