The Chhattisgarh government has advised farmers to opt for short and medium-duration crop varieties and adopt water-saving cultivation practices in view of the possible impact of El Nino and delayed monsoon on the 2026 kharif season, officials said on Saturday.
The agriculture department has prepared a contingency plan under the leadership of Chief Minister Vishnu Deo Sai, anticipating a delayed onset of the monsoon, an early withdrawal and prolonged dry spells during the cropping season, a government official said.
He said the plan aims to protect crops, sustain agricultural production and reduce cultivation costs even in the event of below-normal rainfall.
Farmers have been advised to select short and medium-duration crop varieties to minimise the impact of rainfall uncertainty. The department has also urged them to prioritise Direct Seeded Rice (DSR) instead of the conventional transplanting method, he said.
According to officials, DSR can save around 20 per cent of irrigation water, reduce cultivation costs by nearly Rs 5,000 per acre and enable harvesting 12 to 15 days earlier than transplanted paddy.
In upland areas vulnerable to low rainfall, farmers have been advised to shift from paddy to pulses such as pigeon pea (arhar), green gram (moong) and black gram (urad), and oilseeds including groundnut, sesame, and soybean, which require comparatively less water and are better suited to dry conditions, the official said.
The advisory also recommends sowing crops in rows to improve moisture conservation, weed management and root development, thereby enhancing crop resilience during drought-like conditions, he said.
The official said the department has made seed treatment mandatory before sowing. If seeds fail to germinate by July 15, farmers have been advised to undertake resowing using 10 per cent more seed than the normal seed rate.
The department has also suggested sowing moong and urad by the end of July and sesame, sunflower and medium-duration pigeon pea varieties in August, he said.
Officials have further advised balanced use of fertilisers in low-rainfall conditions.
According to experts, if rainfall remains below normal during the 2026 kharif season, short-duration paddy varieties along with pulses and oilseeds would offer farmers more reliable returns than conventional long-duration paddy.
Chief Minister Sai chaired a high-level review meeting on Friday to assess preparations for the kharif season in view of the possibility of deficient rainfall, a government statement said.
The meeting reviewed the likely weather scenario, availability of fertilisers and seeds, water conservation measures, irrigation management, scientific farming practices and rural employment initiatives, it said.
“The interests of farmers are our highest priority. They should not face any shortage of fertilisers, seeds, technical guidance or other essential resources under any circumstances," Sai said, directing officials to prepare district-specific action plans suited to local conditions.
The chief minister said he had recently requested Union Minister for Health and Chemicals and Fertilisers JP Nadda to provide additional DAP fertiliser for Chhattisgarh.
Following the request, the state has received more than 46,000 tonnes of DAP, higher than the normal allocation, ensuring uninterrupted supplies for the kharif season, he said.
Sai also directed officials to ensure adequate irrigation arrangements for paddy cultivation, particularly through scientific management of water sources in rain-fed areas, and asked the agriculture department to intensify awareness campaigns on short-duration paddy varieties, Direct Seeded Rice, row sowing, seed treatment, moisture conservation and other scientific farming techniques.
He further instructed authorities to launch a special drive to expand the cultivation of pulses and oilseeds in upland areas, crack down on the sale of substandard seeds and fertilisers and prevent black marketing, the release said.
The chief minister also called for wider promotion of the India Meteorological Department’s mobile applications – Sachet, Damini and Meghdoot – to help farmers receive timely weather alerts, including warnings about lightning.
Sai said water conservation would be promoted as a people’s movement and directed officials to prioritise works under the Viksit Bharat-G Ram G Yojana that generate rural employment while strengthening the state’s long-term water security.
The state government has appealed to farmers to seek guidance from nearby agricultural colleges, Krishi Vigyan Kendras, research centres and agriculture department officials for any farming-related issues, it said.
