The Ministry of Agriculture and Farmers Welfare has taken several steps, including updating District Agriculture Contingency Plans (DACPs) for 14 states, promoting climate-resilient technologies, and allocating funds to the State of Maharashtra under the State Disaster Response Fund (SDRF).
The Ministry of Agriculture and Farmers Welfare, in collaboration with several institutions such as the India Meteorological Department (IMD), Indian Council of Agriculture Research (ICAR) institutions, Central Water Commission (CWC), Central Ground Water Board (CGWB), Mahalanobis National Crop Forecast Centre (MNCFC), the Department of Food and Public Distribution (DFPD), the Department of Fertilisers (DoF), and State Governments, is closely monitoring the evolving monsoon situation and the possible impact of El Niño conditions on agriculture. To mitigate these risks, special emphasis has been laid on promoting crop diversification, short-duration and drought-tolerant crops, balanced use of fertilizers, water conservation practices, micro-irrigation, mulching, inter-cropping, and other climate-resilient technologies.
District Agriculture Contingency Plans (DACPs) have been updated for 14 States covering 342 Districts which are likely to receive below normal rainfall by ICAR-CRIDA in consultation with the states. Interface meetings by ICAR have been conducted with these states, including Maharashtra, for operationalization of DACPs. Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs) have also been issued by ICAR for Krishi Vigyan Kendras (KVKs) for mitigation of El Niño-related risks.
In response to the potential negative impact of El Niño conditions on crops like Tur, Soybean, and Cotton, advisories have been given to farmers to sow Maize, Bajra, and Moong, and other short duration crops. The State of Maharashtra has been allocated Rs.5718.00 crore under the SDRF during 2026-27, with Rs.4288.50 crore being the central share and Rs.1429.50 crore being the state share.
Assistance to farmers is available through ongoing schemes such as Pradhan Mantri Krishi Sinchayee Yojana: Per Drop More Crop (PDMC) with a focus on enhancing water-use efficiency at the farm level through installation of Micro-Irrigation systems. Department of Rural Development is utilising Viksit Bharat – Guarantee for Rozgar and Ajeevika Mission (Gramin) (VB G Ram G) funds for rejuvenating water structures to trap every drop of early or residual rainfall.
Source:
Press Information Bureau
