As the monsoon deficit shrinks and rainfall picks up in July, the Centre has activated a proactive strategy to mitigate El Niño threats and boost kharif sowing.
Published: July 8, 2026, 7:37 PM IST
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PM Modi (File image)
New Delhi: Agriculture Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan on Wednesday confirmed that the Centre has activated an extensive monitoring mechanism to aggressively counter the potential impacts of El Niño. While June closed with a worrying 33% rainfall deficit, July has already triggered a sharp turnaround, narrowing the overall monsoon deficit to 24%. Under Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s leadership, the government is deploying a proactive, ground-level strategy, confident that accelerating July rains will rapidly drive momentum for kharif sowing across the country.
Modi government plans comprehensive preparedness
This comprehensive preparedness comes as recent downpours successfully reduced the number of rainfall-deficient districts nationwide from 262 down to 178. Acknowledging that while production challenges certainly remain, Chouhan emphasized that the entire administrative system was mobilized well in advance to mitigate agricultural risks. The minister assured that with weather patterns visibly improving this month, the agricultural sector is well-positioned to make a swift recovery.
Impact of Monsoon on Kharif sowing
The government said it is closely monitoring the situation in Maharashtra, Madhya Pradesh, Gujarat, Uttar Pradesh, Rajasthan, Karnataka, Bihar, Jharkhand, Telangana, Andhra Pradesh, Punjab, West Bengal and Odisha. Kharif sowing has so far been completed over 350.85 lakh hectares, which is approximately 91.95 lakh hectares lower than the corresponding period last year.
The minister said the delayed onset of the monsoon has particularly affected soybean and cotton sowing. “However, farmers have been advised to cultivate short-duration and low water-intensive crops such as maize, bajra, and moong to minimise the impact of delayed rainfall,” he maintained. In collaboration with the Indian Council of Agricultural Research, contingency plans were prepared for districts likely to be affected and shared with state governments well in advance.
How is ‘Khet Bachao Abhiyan’ working for farmers?
As part of the ‘Khet Bachao Abhiyan’ conducted in June, more than 1.24 lakh programmes were organised across the country, directly reaching over 80 lakh farmers. Moreover, the government has maintained a national seed reserve of approximately 1.75 lakh quintals, ensuring adequate seed availability under all circumstances. Chouhan further stated that the Kisan Credit Card campaign has been intensified, with more than 94,000 applications approved out of 1.14 lakh applications received by June 30
(With inputs from agencies)
