Why it is in the news
On 29 September 2026, at the close of the two-day National Agriculture Conference – Rabi Campaign 2026-27 in New Delhi, Union Agriculture Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan set a national foodgrain production target of 373.93 million tonnes (MT) for 2026-27, including 177.72 MT for the rabi season. He said the 12% monsoon rainfall deficit and El Niño would not cause a ‘major crisis’ at the national level.
The exam angle
Issue: Can India protect foodgrain output and farm incomes through a weak-monsoon, El Niño year while also cutting fertiliser overuse and diversifying crops?