PMO Reviews El Niño Impact: Strengthening Food Security and Agricultural Resilience

On July 7, 2026, the Prime Minister's Office (PMO) conducted a high-level review to assess the potential impact of El Niño on India's agricultural landscape. As the Kharif season is critical for the nation's food production, the government is proactively coordinating with state agencies to mitigate risks associated with monsoon deficits. The meeting emphasized the need for a robust strategy to ensure the seamless availability of essential agricultural inputs, such as seeds and fertilizers, and to maintain the stability of food commodity prices. El Niño, a climate pattern characterized by the warming of surface waters in the central and eastern Pacific Ocean, often leads to erratic monsoon rainfall in India. Given that a significant portion of Indian agriculture remains rain-fed, such climatic fluctuations pose a direct threat to crop yields, particularly for water-intensive crops like paddy. The government's intervention highlights the necessity of integrating climate-resilient agricultural practices and strengthening the existing supply chain management to prevent food inflation and ensure food security for the vulnerable population.