Centre Urges Drought-Hit States to Align Rabi Sowing with Water Availability
Centre asks drought-affected states to rethink rabi crop plans, prioritise less water-intensive pulses and oilseeds, and assess soil moisture before sowing.
The Centre has asked states grappling with water shortages to reassess their rabi cropping strategies and match sowing decisions to available water and soil moisture, amid drought-like conditions in parts of Maharashtra, Karnataka, Telangana and Andhra Pradesh.
Speaking at the two-day National Agriculture Conference–Rabi Campaign 2026 in New Delhi on Monday, agriculture minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan said water availability should be the foremost consideration when states decide which crops to plant.
Drought conditions in four states
Chouhan identified Maharashtra, Karnataka, Telangana and Andhra Pradesh as among the states facing drought-like conditions. He expressed particular concern over Maharashtra and Karnataka, noting that nearly two-thirds of Maharashtra's area has been affected by drought, according to agriculture ministry assessments.
Maharashtra has already declared a state-level drought, while drought conditions persist in Karnataka, the minister said. A central team will visit Karnataka on 3 October to carry out a ground assessment of the situation, and another team will be sent to Maharashtra. Chouhan added that he would also travel to the affected states.
Rainfall deficit and kharif impact
The drought concerns follow below-normal rainfall nationally. The south-west monsoon delivered cumulative rainfall of 755.7mm between 1 June and 27 September, about 12% below the normal 857.5mm, according to India Meteorological Department data.
Chouhan said the national deficit was not yet severe enough to affect water availability across the country, but flagged shortages in some states as a concern that requires advance planning.
The uneven rainfall has also weighed on kharif sowing. Farmers had sown 110.39 million hectares as of 18 September, down 1.3% — or 1.5 million hectares — from a year earlier, according to agriculture ministry data. The decline was concentrated in several major crops, including rice, maize, sugarcane and cotton.
Push for pulses and oilseeds
With rabi sowing approaching, the Centre wants states to assess water availability and soil moisture before finalising crop plans, and to promote less water-intensive crops in areas facing shortages. The minister also called for separate crop planning for rainfed and irrigated areas to reduce the risk of crop failure amid inadequate moisture and limited irrigation resources.
States have been asked to prioritise pulses and oilseeds where water availability is limited. These crops generally require less water and could help diversify cultivation while supporting national self-sufficiency goals. Land left fallow after paddy cultivation could also be brought under pulses and oilseeds during the rabi season, according to the agriculture ministry.
The focus on rabi planning carries weight because rabi foodgrain production accounted for 48% of India's total foodgrain output of 376 million tonnes in 2025-26, according to agriculture ministry data.
Procurement backstop
The government is also pressing states to strengthen procurement arrangements alongside 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 state governments do not undertake procurement in time, provided states facilitate the process.