Indian govt says crops in 111 districts are most vulnerable to monsoon deficit

Preparing for a potential super El Nino in 2026, the Indian government has identified 111 districts highly vulnerable to crop damage due to low irrigation and high risks of rain shortages. This looming weather pattern threatens to cut agricultural output and drive up inflation.

Agriculture Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan on Tuesday said that weak monsoon conditions were likely to persist until July 2 and cautioned that kharif crops could be impacted. He took a review of crop sowing progress and rainfall in different parts with officials from the agriculture ministry, ICAR, Rural Development Ministry and India Meteorological Department (IMD).

Around 315 districts have been identified as potentially affected by weak monsoon conditions. Out of these, there are 111 districts (including 22 in Maharashtra and 10 in Chhattisgarh) which are classified as ‘most’ vulnerable as they have an irrigation coverage of less than 25 per cent of their cultivable land, the Ministry said in a statement.

“Another 76 districts fall under the medium-priority category with irrigation coverage between 25 and 50 per cent, while 128 districts have been classified as low priority owing to relatively better irrigation facilities through dams and other sources,” it said. The Ministry has drawn up state-wise contingency plans recommending alternative crops suited to deficient rainfall conditions.

Madhya Pradesh, Maharashtra, Tamil Nadu, Gujarat, Uttar Pradesh, Rajasthan, Karnataka, Bihar, Jharkhand, Telangana, Andhra Pradesh and Odisha have been directed to promote pulses, oilseeds and coarse cereals that require less water, and to encourage short-duration and climate-resilient seed varieties rather than dependence on a single crop.

“There is a gap in rainfall. We need to suggest to farmers to go for alternative crops. We will not let farm fields remain empty,” Chouhan said, adding availability of seeds and fertilisers is adequate for the kharif season. The ministry has set up an El Nino Monitoring Cell, while its Crop Weather Watch Group is also tracking real-time information and issuing advisories regularly.

The Indian Council of Agricultural Research (ICAR) has prepared comprehensive guidelines for the States to work with farmers at different stages of the monsoon season based on rainfall deficit and sowing pattern.

“When monsoon onset is delayed by one to two weeks, farmers need to continue with normal crops using short-duration varieties. Suitable technologies like seed treatment, increased seed rate, closer spacing and ridge-and-furrow planting techniques should be encouraged,” said a senior ICAR scientist. If delays extend to 2-4 weeks, drought-tolerant crop alternatives such as millets, green gram (moong), black gram (urad), cowpea (huar), and sesame should be planted, he said.

“In cases where monsoon delay exceeds four weeks, emphasis should shift towards cultivation of millets, pulses, and fodder crops,” he said.

On possibilities of mid-season drought (when crops are established but rainfall suddenly ceases), ICAR has advised KVKs to promote moisture conservation practices such as inter-cultivation, mulching, earthing-up, and dust mulching, foliar sprays of nutrients, which help alleviate moisture stress. Wherever possible, life-saving irrigation should be provided using farm ponds and community reservoirs.

Meanwhile, the all-India seasonal rainfall deficit between June 1 and June 23 was recorded at 42 per cent as against 43 per cent as on June 22. Currently, the east and north-east meteorological subdivision has a 40 per cent deficit, the north west 19 per cent below normal, central India 64 per cent less rainfall and the southern peninsula 26 per cent lower than normal.

There are 6 States and 4 Union Territories which have received either normal or more rainfall, whereas as many as 22 states and 4 union territories have received below normal rain during June 1-23, IMD data show.