Minister Chouhan Chairs Meeting on Crop Damage Relief

New Delhi, March 20, 2026 - Union Agriculture and Farmers Welfare Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan chaired a high-level meeting here on Friday to assess the agriculture sector's condition amid recent heavy rainfall, hailstorms, and other adverse weather events that have damaged crops in several states.

The session at Krishi Bhawan focused on the immediate needs of affected farmers, including scientific evaluations of crop losses, processing of insurance claims, and activation of relief measures. Officials discussed coordination between central and state governments to ensure timely support, with Chouhan directing prompt crop-cutting experiments and field-level assessments. "If farmers have suffered losses, their insurance claims should be prepared properly and scientifically so that we can support our farmer brothers and sisters," Chouhan told reporters after the meeting.

The review highlighted risks from unseasonal rains and hail, particularly impacting ripening rabi crops like wheat in states such as Uttar Pradesh, Madhya Pradesh, Punjab, and Haryana. The India Meteorological Department reported potential additional western disturbances in the coming days, prompting advisories...