Parliament Question: Impact Of El Nino on Agriculture In Maharashtra

The Ministry of Agriculture & Farmers Welfare is monitoring the monsoon and potential El Niño impacts on agriculture in coordination with IMD, ICAR, CRIDA, CWC, CGWB, MNCFC, DFPD, DoF and State Governments. District Agriculture Contingency Plans for 14 states (342 districts) have been updated, and ICAR has held interface meetings and issued SOPs for KVKs. Emphasis is placed on crop diversification, short‑duration and drought‑tolerant varieties, balanced fertiliser use, water‑conservation, micro‑irrigation and other climate‑resilient practices, with advisories to sow maize, bajra and moong instead of tur, soybean and cotton. Maharashtra has been allocated ₹5,718 crore under SDRF for 2026‑27 (₹4,288.50 crore central share, ₹1,429.50 crore state share) and further allocations up to 2030‑31. Ongoing schemes such as PM‑KISAN, PM‑Fasal Bima Yojana, PDMC, and Viksit Bharat‑VB GRam G are being leveraged for drought mitigation.