El Nino trigger: Rabi contingency plan drawn up for 225 districts amid rainfall deficit

New Delhi: The central government has prepared a rabi contingency plan for the first time after the southwest monsoon ended the season with a cumulative all-India rainfall deficit of 12.6% on account of a strong El Nino.

ML Jat, secretary, Department of Agricultural Research and Education (DARE) and director general of the Indian Council of Agricultural Research (ICAR) said the government usually works on such plans for the kharif season of the year when it expects rainfall deficiency.

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With 225 districts under its scanner, it has drawn an emergency plan for crop planning, based on seed and fertiliser availability and water management. The monsoon deficient and an intensifying El Nino raise concerns over soil moisture and reservoir status for winter crops. However, the recent rainfalls have brought rains to several of these districts increasing water levels in reservoirs which may require an alteration in the original plan, he added.

The rabi preparations come amid renewed food-price pressures, with wholesale food inflation rising to 7.74% in September. Inadequate planting could affect the output of winter staples such as wheat, pulses and oilseeds and potentially feed into food inflation in the coming months.

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The move assumes greater significance this year as the southwest monsoon has been deficient and El Nino has strengthened during the season, leaving parts of the country with lower soil moisture ahead of the rabi planting that begins from October. Soil moisture is lower than average of the past 10 years in Karnataka, Maharashtra, Andhra Pradesh, Telangana, Tamil Nadu, Rajasthan, Gujarat, Western Madhya Pradesh, Bihar, Jharkhand and other north eastern regions, government data showed.

Out of the 178 important reservoirs in different parts of the country, the current year's storage is 72.99% of last year's storage and 82.56% of the normal, according to the Central Water Commission's latest report. India is facing widespread drought-like conditions following a deficient and uneven 2026 southwest monsoon, raising concerns over crop prospects, water availability in the upcoming rabi season.

The stress is particularly acute in parts of western and southern India, including Maharashtra, Karnataka, Andhra Pradesh and Telangana, where prolonged dry spells have depleted soil moisture and strained reservoirs.

Meanwhile, with rice prices rising due to a deficient and uneven monsoon, the Centre on Friday directed traders, retailers, wholesalers, processors and millers across the country to declare their rice and paddy stocks and allowed five southern states to impose stock limits to prevent hoarding.

Under an order dated November 6, all traders and wholesalers, retailers, large retail chains and processors and millers in all states and Union Territories must declare stocks under six categories -- Basmati rice, non-Basmati premium rice, non-Basmati rice, parboiled rice, broken rice and paddy.

Every unit holding stocks will have to update details on the Food Stock Portal (foodstock.dfpd.gov.in) every Friday, the food ministry said in a statement.

Units that are not registered on the portal or that violate stock limits will face action under Sections 6 and 7 of the Essential Commodities Act, 1955.

(With inputs from PTI)