NEW DELHI: After a high-level review meeting, Union Agriculture Minister Shivraj Singh Chauhan said the Centre is closely monitoring the impact of deficient rainfall across several states and expressed hope that improved monsoon activity in July would accelerate Kharif sowing.
The states facing rainfall deficiency include Maharashtra, Madhya Pradesh, Gujarat, Uttar Pradesh, Rajasthan, Karnataka, Bihar, Jharkhand, Telangana, Andhra Pradesh, Punjab, West Bengal and Odisha. The shortfall has been attributed to the El Niño phenomenon.
Chauhan said the overall rainfall deficit has improved from 33% in June to 24% in July following recent spells of rain across several parts of the country.
"Recently, several parts of the country received good rainfall, which has decreased the number of rainfall-deficient districts from 262 to 178," he said.
So far this Kharif season, sowing has been completed on over 350.85 lakh hectares, around 91.95 lakh hectares less than during the corresponding period last year.
The minister said the delayed onset of the monsoon has particularly affected soybean and cotton cultivation.
Farmers have been advised to shift to short-duration and low water-intensive crops such as maize, bajra and moong to reduce the impact of delayed rainfall.
"The government began preparations to address this challenge as early as April," Chauhan said.
He said an extensive monitoring mechanism has been put in place, including the El Niño Monitoring Cell, the Crop Weather Watch Group, state-level control rooms and designated officers, to track monsoon progress, crop sowing, crop conditions and market trends.
In collaboration with the Indian Council of Agricultural Research (ICAR), contingency plans for vulnerable districts were prepared in advance and shared with state governments.
"As part of the 'Khet Bachao Abhiyan' campaign conducted in June, more than 1.24 lakh programmes were organised nationwide, directly reaching over 80 lakh farmers," he said.
Chauhan said the government has maintained a national seed reserve of around 1.75 lakh quintals to ensure uninterrupted sowing operations and adequate seed availability.
He added that the Kisan Credit Card campaign has been intensified, with over 94,000 applications approved out of 1.14 lakh received by June 30.
The minister also said efforts are being stepped up to increase enrolment under the Pradhan Mantri Fasal Bima Yojana to provide financial protection against weather-related crop losses.
He asserted that the Centre is fully prepared to deal with the evolving situation through timely interventions, adequate resources and well-defined processes to support farmers during the Kharif season.
