Indian govt does not see much impact on kharif crops from El Nino as sowing deficit narrows

The Indian government remains optimistic that El Nino will not significantly impact kharif crop production this year, according to Union Agriculture Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan. Despite a few pockets experiencing deficient rainfall, Chouhan stated that most kharif crops have received adequate rainfall, reducing the number of vulnerable districts from 262 to around 100.

The overall sowing has been good, and while localized impacts on lower yields cannot be ruled out, Chouhan emphasized that rainfall was sufficient to meet the full water needs of the crops. The government is preparing to present the Seeds Bill and the Pesticides Management Bill in the next Parliament session, but Chouhan reiterated that these bills have been in the pipeline for some time.

The Minister also discussed the government's roadmap for "Viksit Bharat" 2047 with stakeholders, which focuses on strengthening agriculture and food production, expanding food processing, and improving farmers' access to global markets.