Bhopal, April 10 Agriculture Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan said on Friday that unseasonal rains and hailstorms have damaged standing rabi crops across 2.49 lakh hectares so far, with wheat bearing the brunt, and assessments are still underway.
Speaking to reporters ahead of the launch of the "Unnat Krishi Mela" in Raisen district of Madhya Pradesh, Chouhan said that three departments are conducting the survey. The reported damage up to April 8 covers wheat most severely, followed by horticultural crops like mango and litchi.
"The Modi government stands firmly with farmers in this crisis," he assured.
On April 5, Chouhan had directed officials to review losses in affected states and coordinate with state governments. He has also consulted with the agriculture ministers of impacted regions.
The India Meteorological Department (IMD) reported heavy rainfall in northeast, central, south, and northwest India from April 2-8, affecting Arunachal Pradesh, sub-Himalayan West Bengal, Sikkim, Assam, Meghalaya, Madhya Pradesh, Maharashtra, Tamil Nadu, Karnataka, Odisha, coastal Andhra Pradesh, Himachal Pradesh, and Jammu & Kashmir.
Hailstorms hit Madhya Pradesh, Rajasthan, Himachal Pradesh, Haryana, Uttar Pradesh, Uttarakhand, Punjab, Telangana, Jammu & Kashmir, Odisha, Jharkhand, West Bengal, Chhattisgarh, and Assam-Meghalaya, accompanied by thunderstorms and gusty winds in central, north, east, and northeast states.
The IMD forecasts more rainfall from April 9-15 due to Western Disturbances over Jammu & Kashmir, cyclonic circulations over Uttar Pradesh, Bangladesh, Assam, and Odisha, and associated troughs.
With farmers gearing up for kharif sowing from June, Chouhan said that the government is ensuring smooth nutrient supply to shield against global price swings from West Asia tensions.
The nutrient-based subsidy for phosphatic and potassic fertilizers has been increased to ₹41,534 crore for Kharif 2026. Efforts are being made to diversify import sources.
To prevent diversion for industrial use, a pilot project in Haryana and Madhya Pradesh involves distributing fertilizers against AgriStack-linked identity cards. The scheme will be scaled nationwide, with 9.29 crore Farmers' IDs created against a target of 13 crore.
State-specific agriculture roadmaps based on agro-climate zones are being developed, with five zonal conferences planned. The "Unnat Krishi Melas" will be expanded to other states to reach a wider audience of farmers on new technologies.
Chouhan stressed diversifying beyond foodgrains into allied activities to boost incomes and productivity, noting India's challenge of an average landholding of 0.9 hectares and import dependence on pulses and edible oils despite ample wheat and rice stocks.