India sets 373.93 MT foodgrain target for 2026-27, Rabi goal at 177.72 MT, citing El Nino risk

Key facts

• The Union government has set a foodgrain production target of 373.93 million tonnes for 2026-27, 2.63 MT below the 2025-26 estimate, in view of El Nino, while the Rabi season target is 177.72 MT, led by wheat.
• Union Agriculture Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan announced the targets after the National Agriculture Conference-Rabi Campaign 2026 in New Delhi, noting production reached 376.56 MT in 2025-26 against a target of 362.60 MT.
• States have estimated Rabi fertiliser requirement at around 380 lakh metric tonnes, with over 163 lakh metric tonnes currently available against about 122 lakh metric tonnes at the start of the previous Rabi season.
• The monsoon rainfall deficit stood at 14% around August 24-25, improving to 12%, and kharif sowing area declined only about 1%, with rice acreage down around 16.32 lakh hectares.
• Central teams will assess crop damage in Karnataka and Maharashtra on October 3, with relief via the State Disaster Response Fund (Centre 75%, states 25%) and possible National Disaster Response Fund assistance after assessment.
• Under the PM-AASHA framework, NAFED and NCCF can directly begin procurement in mandis when prices of pulses and oilseeds fall below the minimum support price, instead of waiting for state agencies.
• The Centre released more than Rs 7,000 crore to states under the Rashtriya Krishi Vikas Yojana and Krishonnati Yojana, including over Rs 3,000 crore recently after an earlier allocation of around Rs 4,000 crore.
• Stubble burning's contribution to Delhi-NCR pollution declined from about 7% in 2019-20 to around 2.5% currently, per government estimates cited by Chouhan.