Theme: Agriculture | How El Nino might change the Kharif cropping pattern

In this episode, Subramani MR, Commodities Editor, businessline talks to Sanjay Gupta, MD and CEO, NCML, about the current state of the Indian agriculture sector amidst the erratic monsoon season. Gupta talks about the unpredictable nature of this year's monsoon, which has presented both challenges and opportunities for the agricultural industry. While India as a whole is experiencing a small surplus in rainfall compared to the average, the distribution has been highly uneven. Regions like east and northeast India are facing a rainfall deficit of 19 per cent, while northwest India sees an excess of 59 per cent. Such disparities pose a complicated situation for farmers and crop production. They also talk about the impact of El Nino on key crops like paddy (including basmati and non-basmati varieties), cotton, maize, and soybean. The excessive rain in some areas has led to potential damage to basmati rice crops, causing prices to rise. On the other hand, non-basmati rice-growing regions are facing a deficit due to insufficient rainfall, which could impact both crop yield and prices. Additionally, the discussion explores the potential impact of El Nino on the monsoon and agricultural production. Gupta emphasizes the need for efficient management of warehouses and addresses the government's initiative to construct cooperatively owned warehouses. He also highlights NC ml's plans to expand its capacity through silos and explore logistics support using rail transportation for food grains. Tune in to this episode to know more about the current state of Indian agriculture, the effects of the monsoon on various crops, and the challenges and opportunities faced by farmers and the industry as a whole. (Host: Haripriya Sureban; Producer: Jayapriyanka) About the State of the Economy podcast India’s economy has been hailed as a bright spot amid the general gloom that seems to have enveloped the rest of the world. But several sectors continue to stutter even as others seem set to fire on all cylinders. To help you make sense of the bundle of contradictions that the country is, businessline brings you podcasts with experts ranging from finance and marketing to technology and start-ups.