Overview
- The India Meteorological Department projects monsoon rainfall at about 92% of the long‑period average, while the World Meteorological Organization signals El Niño conditions that often weaken the rains.
- Regional officials in drought‑prone Rayalaseema urge farmers to avoid high‑water crops like banana, paddy and turmeric and to switch to drought‑resilient options for the coming Kharif season.
- Onion fields covering nearly 90,000 acres in Kurnool, Nandyal and Kadapa face high failure risk as borewells dry up and some farmers report finding no groundwater even after drilling new wells.
- Experts recommend short‑duration crop varieties, micro‑irrigation and farm ponds, and they point farmers to hyperlocal weather tools that helped grape growers in Nashik cut irrigation by 10% to 30%.
- Scientists note El Niño does not guarantee a weak monsoon because factors like the Indian Ocean Dipole can offset its effects, yet economists warn lighter rains could push up food prices and slow growth.