← Today's Edition

Critical

El Niño dry-up: India's agricultural supply chain has a vital input that’s looking very weak this year

Global warming is making India's vital monsoon rainfall unpredictable, severely impacting its $300 billion farm economy. Delayed planting from insufficient June rains, exacerbated by a super El Niño, threatens essential crops like rice, cotton, and millet, potentially driving inflation. Despite India's improved resilience via irrigation and stockpiles, these measures struggle against worsening climate change. The historically dependable monsoon, crucial for a quarter of the world's population, is becoming less reliable, causing droughts and floods. This poses significant economic challenges for India, testing its farm resilience.

LiveMint · mint · Jun 28, 2026 at 10:11 AM

More summaries by mint

Related Insights