Shivraj Singh Chouhan says El Nino unlikely to threaten kharif
India
Good news for Indian farmers: Union Agriculture Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan says El Nino is not expected to seriously hurt this year's kharif crop output.
He shared that the number of districts at risk from low rainfall has dropped a lot, thanks to most regions getting enough rain.
Kharif planting at 92% normal
Kharif crop planting is now at 92% of normal levels, nearly matching last year despite a 13% monsoon shortfall.
Some states like Karnataka and Telangana are still struggling with water shortages, though.
On the policy side, two major bills on seeds and pesticides are set to be introduced in Parliament soon.
The government also rolled out its Shakti ki Saptdhara plan to boost farming and food processing as part of its big-picture < em>Viksit Bharat vision for 2047.