Page 3 - El Nino

Why El Nino could become India's next growth and inflation challenge

With rainfall turning weaker and El Nino risks rising, India could face pressure on farm output, food inflation, rural demand and overall economic growth in FY27

El Nino fear pushes Andhra farmers towards water-saving paddy methods

Majji Satyam has been watching the sky since May. The 52-year-old farmer from JR Puram village in Andhra Pradesh's Srikakulam district has five acres, two borewells, and a lifetime of growing paddy the way his father did raise seedlings in a nursery, transplant them into flooded fields and keep the water standing until harvest. This kharif season, backed by years of training from the family-owned trust Dr Reddy's Foundation, one of the beneficiaries of CSR funds of pharma major Dr Reddy's Laboratories, he is trying something different. "Last year, rains had arrived in May itself. This year it has not yet come. I have heard that the rainfall will be less due to El Nino," Satyam told PTI. "So I have decided to try DSR." DSR Direct Seeded Rice skips the nursery entirely. Seeds go straight into the field. No transplantation, no waterlogging, no standing puddles. For a farmer staring down a lean monsoon, it is an attractive proposition. Satyam is not alone. Across Srikakulam and .

India's monsoon starts nearly 40% below normal as El Niño disrupts weather

The climate pattern is historically associated with dryness in South Asia, and US scientists expect it to be one of the strongest on record

Centre awaits IMD's June-end El Nino projection to shape kharif strategy

Agriculture Secretary Atish Chandra on Wednesday said the ministry is awaiting the India Meteorological Department's (IMD) forecast by the end of this month to get a clearer picture on the El Nino timeline before deciding on concrete steps to mitigate the likely impact on kharif crops. "The prediction on when El Nino will set in is still to come. By the end of this month, IMD will come out with the forecast, and then the picture will be clearer. We will then be in the thick of the kharif sowing season and will know how it is going to pan out," Chandra told PTI in an interview. While there have been broad forecasts of El Nino setting in around November, IMD is seeking greater certainty before firming up its assessment. A key variable being tracked is the Indian Ocean Dipole (IOD) a climate pattern characterised by irregular sea surface temperature oscillations in the Indian Ocean. After remaining positive in May, the IOD has turned neutral in June. "Whether it will remain neutral

Agriculture ministry sounds El Niño alarm; MFIs step up rural credit vigil

As the Centre warns of a severe El Niño impact in 12 states, microfinance lenders are intensifying vigilance to protect collection gains

El Nino to hit 12 states severely; Chouhan calls for district-level plans

The impact of El Nino weather phenomenon, linked with a weaker monsoon in India, is likely to be "relatively severe" in 12 states, including Uttar Pradesh and Tamil Nadu, in the Kharif season, according to the agriculture ministry, which on Tuesday directed coordinated action through district-level machinery in the most vulnerable regions. Other states likely to be impacted by El Nino include Andhra Pradesh, Telangana, Karnataka, Odisha, Gujarat, Rajasthan, Bihar, Madhya Pradesh, Jharkhand and Maharashtra. "In 9-10 states where the impact of El Nino may be relatively higher, coordinated meetings should be organised with District Magistrates, Agriculture Departments, Krishi Vigyan Kendras (KVKs) and other extension systems of the identified districts," Agriculture Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan, who chaired the weekly review meeting on Kharif 2026 preparations, said. The minister also stressed the need for advance contingency planning in rain-deficient districts, while also pushing f

India has enough fertiliser stocks, prepared for El Nino: Chouhan

Union Agriculture Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan on Saturday assured that enough fertilizer stocks were available in the country, and also stated that the government had made preparations to handle the possible El Nino impact. Urea and di-ammonium phosphate (DAP) would continue to be available at subsidised rates despite concerns over supplies amid the West Asia crisis, he said. India has adequate fertiliser stocks for the ongoing kharif season and the government is taking all necessary steps to ensure sufficient availability for the rabi crop cycle as well, he said. "Our government has decided that farmers will continue to get urea and DAP at affordable rates. The government is bearing the burden of increased prices," Chouhan told reporters after the conclusion of the five-day BRICS agriculture meeting in Indore. "This will put an additional burden of thousands of crores of rupees on the exchequer, but we are prepared to bear it in the interest of farmers," he added. "Our govern

El Nino conditions currently present over equatorial Pacific Ocean: IMD

El Nino conditions are currently present over the equatorial Pacific Ocean and are expected to strengthen further during the southwest monsoon season, the IMD said on Friday. The atmosphere has responded to the warming sea surface temperatures, and the coupled ocean-atmosphere system now exhibits characteristics consistent with El Nino conditions, it said. "Forecasts from the Monsoon Mission Coupled Forecast System (MMCFS) indicate a further strengthening of El Nino conditions during the southwest monsoon season," the India Meteorological Department (IMD) said. The last time El Nino conditions developed was in 2023. Since 2000, these conditions have emerged in 2002, 2009 and 2015.

El Niño emerges in Pacific, raising risks of droughts, floods, crop losses

A powerful El Niño in 1997 killed at least 30,000 people and caused an estimated $100 billion in damage worldwide

Centre announces ₹95,692 crore interim allocation under VB-G RAM G

The interim allocation comes ahead of the formal launch of VB-G RAM G on July 1, 2026, across the country

Singapore brings back 19th-century tech to tackle rising temperatures

The 140-year-old concept known as district cooling is taking root in Singapore, where temperatures are rising twice as fast as the global average and sharpening the focus on climate adaptation

West Asia conflict, El Nino conditions may drag FY27 growth to 6.5%

India's GDP growth is expected to slow to 6.5% in FY27 as oil prices, geopolitical tensions and weak monsoon prospects weigh on economic activity

RBI policy: 'Inflation target sacrosanct for us, not in abeyance at all'

RBI Governor Sanjay Malhotra said the 4% inflation target remains sacrosanct, while stressing a data-driven approach amid supply-side risks and uncertainty

Agriculture sector growth dips in FY26 amid decline in current prices

Q4 growth recovers in FY26 due to good rabi harvest, say experts

Monsoon reaches Kerala, three days later than usual amid El Nino scare

The onset of rains marks the start of the monsoon's four-month-long journey over the Indian mainland that ends in September

Agriculture needs dual approach to tackle El Nino, build climate resilience

El Nino is a natural phenomenon in the eastern Pacific Ocean that influences global weather patterns, including India's monsoon

El Nino's local impact may outweigh overall monsoon deficit, warn experts

Experts say the spatial distribution of rainfall and longer monsoon breaks could have a greater impact on farmers and rural livelihoods than the overall seasonal rainfall deficit

Chouhan reviews monsoon progress, flags El Nino risk; govt on alert mode

Union Agriculture Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan on Tuesday reviewed the progress of southwest monsoon and directed officials to provide timely farm advisories and maintain better coordination with states to tackle the potential impact of El Nino on kharif crops. The government is on "alert mode", Chouhan said, asking officials to maintain constant check on monsoon status. "Ensure better coordination with states and take prompt action," Chouhan told officials in the meeting. He also asked them to provide timely advisories and essential assistance to farmers, an official statement said. Measures to safeguard farmers' interests and mitigate the impact on kharif crops were discussed in detail, it said. Officials from all departments and agencies concerned were present in the meeting. The southwest monsoon is expected to onset over Kerala around June 4, the India Meteorological Department (IMD) said on Tuesday. Typically, rains arrive in Kerala around June 1, marking the beginning o

Monsoon worries? Amol Athawale of Kotak Securities picks 3 stocks to watch

Amol Athawale of Kotak Securities believes Chambal Fertilisers and M&M are favourably placed, while Coromandel looks weak on charts. The analyst flags key levels for these 3 monsoon-related stocks.

IMD further lowers 2026 monsoon forecast as El Nino set to develop

Chouhan asks states to be 'prepared'; Centre prepares war chest of extra seeds to meet any eventuality