The Centre has intensified weekly reviews and Kharif preparedness measures amid uncertainty in the southwest monsoon and the possible impact of El Niño.
Union Agriculture and Farmers’ Welfare Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan said on Wednesday, 8 July, that the monsoon situation had improved in July after a weak June.
According to a statement by the Ministry of Agriculture and Farmers Welfare, the country had recorded a 33% rainfall deficit in June. The overall deficit has now narrowed to 24%.
The number of rainfall-deficient districts has also declined from 262 to 178 after several parts of the country received good rainfall in recent days.
Chouhan made the remarks after a high-level review meeting in New Delhi.
The Centre is closely monitoring the situation in Maharashtra, Madhya Pradesh, Gujarat, Uttar Pradesh, Rajasthan, Karnataka, Bihar, Jharkhand, Telangana, Andhra Pradesh, Punjab, West Bengal and Odisha.
The minister said rainfall was expected to gain further momentum during July, which could help accelerate Kharif sowing.
Kharif sowing has so far been completed over 350.85 lakh hectares. This is around 91.95 lakh hectares lower than the corresponding period last year.
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According to the ministry, the delayed onset of the monsoon has particularly affected soybean and cotton sowing.
Farmers have been advised to shift, where required, to short-duration and low water-intensive crops such as maize, bajra and moong to reduce the impact of delayed rainfall.
Chouhan said the government had started preparations for the situation as early as April.
Contingency plans were prepared with the Indian Council of Agricultural Research for districts likely to be affected and shared with state governments in advance.
As part of the Khet Bachao Abhiyan conducted in June, more than 1.24 lakh programmes were organised across the country, reaching over 80 lakh farmers directly.
The ministry said a national seed reserve of around 1.75 lakh quintals has been maintained to ensure seed availability during the Kharif season.
The Kisan Credit Card campaign has also been intensified. More than 94,000 applications had been approved out of 1.14 lakh applications received by 30 June.
The government is also seeking higher farmer participation under the Pradhan Mantri Fasal Bima Yojana to provide financial protection in case of crop losses due to adverse weather.
The ministry said an El Niño Monitoring Cell, the Crop Weather Watch Group, state-level control rooms and designated officers are monitoring monsoon progress, crop sowing, crop conditions and market trends.
Chouhan said the government was monitoring the evolving situation and had put in place resources and processes to respond to challenges during the Kharif season.
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