Center asks drought-hit states to reconsider rabi cultivation plans | Today’s news
New Delhi: The Center has asked states facing water scarcity to review their rabi crop plans and align sowing with available water and soil moisture as drought-like conditions in parts of Maharashtra, Karnataka, Telangana and Andhra Pradesh raise the risk of crop losses.
Addressing the two-day National Agriculture Conference – Rabi 2026 Campaign in New Delhi on Monday, Agriculture Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan said water availability should be the primary consideration in deciding which crops to sow.
The government’s focus comes as below-normal rainfall and water shortages raise concerns about irrigation availability in some regions.
Maharashtra, Karnataka, Telangana and Andhra Pradesh are among the states facing drought-like conditions, Chouhan said. He expressed concern over Maharashtra and Karnataka, with nearly two-thirds of Maharashtra’s land affected by drought, according to the agriculture ministry.
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Maharashtra has already declared drought at the state level, while drought conditions continue to prevail in Karnataka, Chouhan said. A central team will visit Karnataka on October 3 to conduct a ground assessment of the drought situation, while another team will be sent to Maharashtra, he added. Chouhan said he would also visit the affected states.
Rainfall below normal
The drought concerns come against a backdrop of below-normal rainfall nationwide. Chouhan said the deficit is not yet severe enough to affect water availability across the country, but called shortages in some states a problem requiring advance planning.
The southwest monsoon brought cumulative rainfall of 755.7 mm from June 1 to September 27, 12% below the normal 857.5 mm, according to India Meteorological Department data.
Uneven rainfall has also affected kharif sowing. Farmers planted 110.39 million hectares as of Sept. 18, down 1.3% from a year earlier, or 1.5 million hectares, according to Agriculture Ministry data. The decline was concentrated in a few major crops, including rice, corn, sugarcane and cotton.
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With rabi sowing approaching, the Center wants states to adapt crop selection with available water rather than relying on conventional sowing practices. The Department of Agriculture has asked states to assess water availability and soil moisture before finalizing crop plans and promote less water-intensive crops in areas facing shortages.
This development assumes significance as rabi foodgrain production accounted for 48% of India’s total foodgrain production of 376 million tonnes in 2025-26, according to agriculture ministry data.
The minister also called for separate crop planning for rainfed and irrigated areas to reduce the risk of crop failure due to insufficient moisture and limited irrigation resources.
The Center has asked states to prioritize pulses and oilseeds in areas with limited water availability. These crops generally require less water and could help states diversify cultivation while supporting national self-sufficiency goals. Areas left fallow after rice cultivation could also be infested with pulses and oilseeds during the rabies season, according to the agriculture ministry.
The government is also pushing states to strengthen procurement arrangements along with crop planning. Chouhan said central agencies such as the National Agricultural Cooperative Marketing Federation of India (Nafed) and the National Cooperative Consumers Federation of India (NCCF) could procure pulses and oilseeds directly from farmers if the state governments do not make the purchase on time if the states facilitate the process.
