India’s kharif crop output could come in lower this year, and rabi crops in rainfed areas are also at risk from the El Nino weather event, Agriculture Secretary Atish Chandra has said.

Chandra said deficient rainfall in some parts and untimely heavy rain in others have hurt the kharif season. The Agriculture Ministry is expected to release its first kharif production estimate next month.

Rabi sowing begins in October, and the secretary said El Nino could make cultivation difficult in rainfed areas. Kharif crops cover about 638 lakh hectares nationally.

Wheat accounts for over 300 lakh hectares of rabi land. Pulses cover about 140 lakh hectares, oilseeds 87 lakh hectares and coarse cereals 55 lakh hectares.

Rainfed farming depends almost entirely on seasonal rain, so a strong El Nino, which can raise temperatures and disturb rain patterns, hits these areas hardest.

The monsoon season has ended with rainfall 15 per cent below normal nationally, with the South Peninsula facing a sharper deficit of about 28 per cent.