Archive · 21 Sep 2026
Naidu Orders El Niño Action to Protect Farmers, Control Prices
Chief Minister Nara Chandrababu Naidu asked officials to prepare for problems caused by El Niño.
El Niño can make farming and water supplies more difficult.
He said farmers should be protected and food prices should not rise too much.
Officials were told to check rice supplies and manage prices of onions, palm oil and red gram.
Farmers were encouraged to grow crops that people need, including pulses, millets and onions.
The government also wants more kitchen gardens, fodder and natural farming.
Officials must provide drinking water for people and water and fodder for animals.
Rainfall was 50.7% below normal, but sowing had begun on 79% of the planned kharif area.
Naidu said officials, farmers and irrigation groups should work together and use contingency plans.
Chief Minister Nara Chandrababu Naidu directed officials to implement El Niño contingency measures and protect farmers and consumers.
Officials were told to monitor rice stocks and control prices of rice, onions, palm oil and red gram.
Naidu urged demand-based cultivation, more pulses and millets, natural farming, kitchen gardens and fodder production.
The state reported a 50.7% rainfall deficit, while kharif cultivation had begun on 79% of the targeted 30.84 lakh hectares.
Officials reported seed distribution at an 80% subsidy, ₹60 crore for the kharif contingency plan and ₹190 crore for horticulture protection.
- Who
- Chief Minister Nara Chandrababu Naidu, department officials, district collectors, farmers, irrigation associations and Rythu Seva Kendra staff.
- What
- Naidu directed officials to implement an action plan addressing El Niño, protect farmers and control essential-commodity prices.
- When
- The articles date the teleconference differently: one says Saturday and the other says Sunday; no calendar date is provided.
- Where
- The teleconference was conducted from Bengaluru and involved officials across the state; Amaravati and Vijayawada are identified in the article datelines.
- Why
- Because the state faced a 50.7% rainfall deficit, risks to crops and potential increases in essential-commodity prices.
- Rainfall deficit
- The state recorded a 50.7% rainfall deficit.
- Kharif cultivation
- Sowing had begun on 79% of the targeted 30.84 lakh hectares.
- Priority commodities
- Officials were told to control prices of rice, onions, palm oil and red gram.
- Seed support
- The government supplied 1.31 lakh quintals of seeds at an 80% subsidy.
- Contingency funding
- ₹60 crore was kept ready for the kharif contingency plan.
- Horticulture support
- ₹190 crore was allocated to protect horticultural crops in high-risk Rythu Seva Kendra areas.
- Irrigation spending
- Naidu said ₹3,500 crore was spent to bring water through Handri-Neeva canals within 100 days.
