Ranchi: Anticipating a poor monsoon this year, Jharkhand Agriculture Minister Shilpi Neha Tirkey on Thursday directed officials to plan in advance to combat drought conditions. She instructed them to prepare district-level contingency plans by May 12.
The minister stated, "The government is fully alert and active regarding the possibility of below-normal rainfall in the state as per initial predictions." Various forecasts have indicated a potential 30 to 35 percent deficit in average rainfall during the financial year 2026-27.
Tirkey held a meeting with departmental officials to outline strategies. "The possibility of drought-like conditions developing in central India cannot be ignored. So, we have started to move with a concrete strategy," she added.
The meeting resolved to create an effective arrangement of a contingency fund to provide farmers with timely information, technical guidance, grants, and necessary assistance. "Our goal is not merely to face the crisis, but to turn it into an opportunity by making agriculture stronger, more sustainable, and more profitable. Hence, I have directed officials to prepare a comprehensive and implementable blueprint of the district-level contingency plan at the proposed Kharif workshop on May 12," she said.
The government has placed agricultural diversification at the center of this strategy. Advising farmers not to remain dependent solely on paddy, the minister stated that crops requiring less water—such as Madua (Ragi), Urad, Moong, and Soyabean—will be promoted, particularly in upland areas.
This proactive approach aims to mitigate the impact of a potential drought and ensure that agriculture in Jharkhand remains resilient and sustainable despite adverse weather conditions.
