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With the possibility of El Nino and a weak or uncertain monsoon this year, the Central Government has intensified its preparedness for the Kharif season. Union Minister for Agriculture & Farmers Welfare and Rural Development Shivraj Singh Chouhan has said that the southwest monsoon is significantly delayed this year and rainfall so far has been around 43 per cent below normal. According to IMD forecasts, rainfall is likely to remain weak even during the week ending July 2. This could directly affect Kharif crops, particularly in rainfed regions where agriculture is heavily dependent on monsoon rains. The Union Minister said changing crop strategy in rainfed areas has become the need of the hour. States have been advised to promote short-duration crop varieties and those capable of delivering higher yields with lower water requirements. Farmers have been encouraged to adopt crop diversification to reduce dependence on a single crop and distribute risks across multiple crops. Intercropping and mixed farming practices are also being promoted to ensure that if one crop is affected, farmers can still generate income from others. Chouhan said that around 315 districts have been identified as potentially affected by weak monsoon conditions. Of these, 111 districts have been categorised as high priority, where irrigation coverage is below 25 per cent. 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. He noted further that adequate seed arrangements for the Kharif season have already been made. Additional seed stocks have been earmarked for potentially affected districts. Around one per cent extra seed stock has been reserved specifically for districts where resowing may become necessary. According to reports from the Ministry of Fertilisers, the availability of all major fertilisers, including urea, DAP, MOP, NPK and SSP, is satisfactory for the Kharif season. Separate monitoring mechanisms are in place to ensure timely distribution and delivery in districts vulnerable to weak monsoon conditions so that farmers can undertake sowing immediately when weather conditions become favourable. For Kharif 2026, a foodgrain production target of around 176 million tonnes has been set, taking into account monsoon forecasts, MSP, demand trends, previous performance and ongoing government schemes. Buffer stocks of both rice and wheat remain comfortable, and therefore there is no immediate threat to food security despite concerns over a weak monsoon. Powered by Capital Market - Live News
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