El Nino threatens rabi crops in rainfed areas: Agri Secy

Agriculture Secretary Atish Chandra warned that the upcoming rabi season, beginning in October, could pose significant challenges to rainfed areas due to the El Nino weather pattern. He stated that foodgrain production might be severely impacted during this season. Chandra also noted that the kharif season, which precedes rabi, is already presenting challenges, particularly in rainfed regions, where crop coverage and crop survival have been difficult to achieve.

Chandra explained that the rabi season, which typically involves sowing of crops like wheat, mustard, pulses, oilseeds, and coarse cereals, is expected to face considerable difficulties. Some states may encounter excess soil moisture issues, while other areas might suffer prolonged periods of drought due to deficient rainfall. He emphasized the need for tailored strategies to address these challenges during the rabi season.

Climate change is a reality, and Chandra highlighted that even irrigated areas have experienced unseasonal and heavy rainfalls, which have adversely affected crops. He noted that India has achieved self-sufficiency in cereals but still imports pulses, oilseeds, and certain horticulture products.

Chandra called for crop diversification to ensure self-reliance, acknowledging that this would require overcoming hurdles in research, climate resilience, and farmer incomes. He advocated for sustainable agriculture alongside diversification and urged state governments to focus on farmer income improvement rather than merely disbursing subsidies.

The Secretary stressed the importance of modernizing infrastructure to minimize farm losses and mentioned the lack of procurement mechanisms for fruits and vegetables, which are expanding rapidly in markets.

Digital agriculture was identified as the most critical priority, with Chandra emphasizing the need for accurate production and land-coverage data, along with farmer IDs, to enable effective planning. He acknowledged that while the farmer ID initiative is a significant achievement, the absence of a robust digital infrastructure weakens planning efforts. Infrastructure and market systems, including last-mile connectivity, require rebuilding to fully harness the potential of digital agriculture.