Fertiliser, seeds and monsoon, and El Niño situation reviewed in weekly review meeting of Agriculture Ministry

The Union Agriculture Minister, Shri Shivraj Singh Chouhan, chaired a weekly review on 21 July 2026 to assess Kharif sowing progress, monsoon performance, El Niño impact, and fertilizer/seed availability. By 17 July, 658.19 lakh ha of Kharif area had been sown, with a decline overall but gains in paddy, pulses and other crops. The South‑West monsoon reached the entire country by 9 July, one day later than the usual 8 July, while average rainfall from 1 June to 15 July was 23 % below normal (227 mm vs 294.2 mm), with the highest deficits in East‑Northeast (36 %). The Ministry reported adequate fertilizer (especially urea) and seed stocks and directed continuous monitoring through states, KVKs and scientific advisories.