Brief by Shorts91 Newsdesk / 02:09am on 11 May 2026,Monday Weather & Environment
Rising concerns over a possible El Niño-driven weak monsoon are pushing Indian farmers towards drought-resistant crops and hyperlocal weather forecasting strategies. Farmers across Karnataka and other regions fear lower rainfall after poor pre-monsoon showers damaged crops, including mango yields. The India Meteorological Department has forecast monsoon rainfall at 92 per cent of the long-period average, categorised as “below normal”. Agronomists say farmers may increasingly shift towards short-duration and less water-intensive crops such as finger millet, while adopting green-manuring practices to improve soil moisture retention. Researchers and climate experts are also promoting hyperlocal crop-weather forecasting systems to help farmers manage irrigation, sowing and harvesting decisions as climate variability and rainfall uncertainty intensify across India. (PC: The Telegraph)
