New Delhi: The foodgrain production target set by India for the 2026-27 crop year is lower than the country’s actual production in the last year. The production target of 373.93 million tonnes for 2026-27 that was announced by Union agriculture and farmers’ welfare minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan is below the actual production of 376.56 million tonnes in 2025-26, reported Mint.The reduced production target comes amidst weather risks such as El Nino and uneven rainfall.The target for this year’s a rabi season is 177.72 million tonnes against 171.14 million tonne estimated for 2025-26.Union minister Chouhan said that crop plans have been drawn up keeping in view the water status of reservoirs, groundwater levels, and soil moisture.As per data from the Ministry of Agriculture, farmers had sown 110.39 million hectares of kharif crop as of September 18, which is around 1.5 million hectares lower than last year.A decline in key crops such as rice, maize, sugarcane and cotton, which are crucial to India’s food and fibre supplies was also noticed, reported Mint. The acreage of rice, one of the most crucial crops, declined by 3.7% year-on-year to 42.9 million hectares.Chouhan added that owing to heavy rains, floods or droughts, crop damage was also reported across around 611,000 hectares in Karnataka, Maharashtra, Tamil Nadu, Telangana, Andhra Pradesh, Rajasthan and Gujarat. He said that a detailed scientific assessment of the extent of damage is underway.The Wire has previously reported that 2026 isn’t just a Super El Niño year, but as reports suggest, it could be the strongest El Niño the world has witnessed so far. As a direct result of it, from fruit belts in the hills to wheat fields in the plains, extreme weather is affecting crops and could deepen risks to food security. The situation requires planning in advance for weather shocks.