El Nino: Concern increased due to the sound of El Nino, the government has already made major preparations for the farmers.

In many parts of the country, farmers have their eyes fixed on the sky (El Nino) regarding the speed of monsoon. Concern about farming had increased due to less rain in June, but now the situation is being continuously monitored. Keeping in view the weather, the government has already started preparations so that the Kharif crops are not affected much.

on farming Season Several steps have been taken to provide relief to the farmers amid fears of the impact of the changing mood of the economy. With the improvement in the rainfall situation, the government has also intensified preparations for seeds, crop insurance and alternative farming.

El Nino improved in lack of rain

Union Agriculture and Farmers Welfare Minister Shivraj Singh Chauhan said that in the month of June, about 33 percent less rainfall than normal was recorded across the country. Due to this, the possibility of sowing of Kharif crops being affected had increased. However, the situation has improved due to good rains in many states in the early days of July. Now the rainfall deficiency has reduced to 24 percent and the number of districts with less rainfall has reduced from 262 to 178.

what is el nino

El Nino is a natural phenomenon related to ocean and weather, which affects the weather of many countries of the world. Due to its effect, the monsoon may weaken in India, due to which there is a possibility of less rainfall. Less rainfall has a direct impact on agriculture, irrigation, reservoirs and food grain production. For this reason, the government has started preparations in advance keeping in mind the possible situation.

Special attention on these states

The government is special monitoring states like Maharashtra, Madhya Pradesh, Gujarat, Uttar Pradesh, Rajasthan, Karnataka, Bihar, Jharkhand, Telangana, Andhra Pradesh, Punjab, West Bengal and Odisha. There is a large area of ​​Kharif crops in these states and the monsoon situation can have a direct impact on the income of farmers.

Kharif sowing was affected

According to the Agriculture Minister, so far Kharif crops have been sown in about 350.85 lakh hectare area, which is about 91.95 lakh hectare less than last year (El Nino). The biggest impact of delay in rain has been seen on crops like soybean and cotton. In such a situation, farmers have been advised to cultivate crops which are ready in short duration and grow in less water like maize, millet and moong.

pre-prepared seed stock

Keeping in view the possible seasonal challenges, the government had started preparations from April itself. With the help of Indian Council of Agricultural Research, a special action plan was prepared for low rainfall districts and sent to the states. The government has reserved about 1.75 lakh quintals of national seed stock so that farmers do not face shortage of seeds in case of need.

Insurance and monitoring system also active

Emphasis is being laid on increasing the participation of farmers under the Prime Minister Crop Insurance Scheme. Besides, the process of providing timely financial assistance to farmers through Kisan Credit Card has also been expedited.

Keeping in view the possibilities of El Nino, the government has also kept the monitoring system active (El Nino). Teams at different levels are constantly monitoring the monsoon, crop, sowing and market conditions.

The Agriculture Minister assured that even if the impact of El Nino increases, necessary steps will be taken immediately to provide relief to farmers and protect agricultural production.