Agriculture and Farmers Welfare Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan today said that the government is making advance preparations to help farmers deal with the possible impact of a weak monsoon caused by El Niño. Addressing a press conference in New Delhi, Mr Chouhan said that the country had so far seen around 43% less rainfall and that the monsoon was expected to remain weak in July too. He noted that around 315 districts could be affected by below-normal rainfall, including 111 high-priority districts with very limited irrigation.

 

Mr Chouhan said that states have been advised to promote crops like pulses, coarse grains, and oilseeds, which require less water and can still perform well under difficult conditions. He said scientific protocols, timely crop planning, and district-level preparedness were being strengthened in coordination with the states.

 

Mr Chouhan added that Krishi Vigyan Kendras, agromet units, and other advisory channels such as SMS, WhatsApp, call centres, radio, television, and social media were being used to ensure that farmers receive timely guidance. The Minister also said that monitoring cells and weather watch groups had been set up in Delhi to review real-time data and feedback. He added that states had been asked to establish control rooms and appoint nodal officers for better coordination.

 

He said that special attention was being given to fodder availability for livestock, wider coverage under crop insurance, and the speedy issuance of Kisan Credit Cards for farmers. He noted that these steps would help reduce losses if crops are damaged due to insufficient rainfall.

 

The Minister further said that contingency plans had already been prepared for the affected districts, with a focus on alternative crops, short-duration varieties, crop diversification, and better use of available water resources such as ponds, reservoirs, check dams, farm ponds, and other water conservation structures.