CropLife India, an industry body of pesticides manufacturers, has issued an advisory for the on-going sowing of crops in zaid season urging farmers to prioritise timely sowing, science-based crop protection and responsible input sourcing amid unseasonal rains and hailstorms impacted rabi crops heavily in several States.
After the loss of some rabi crops, the cropping window in current zaid season (falls after rabi and before kharif season) is critical for farmers to raise their incomes this year, it said.
“Farmers who have suffered rabi losses cannot afford to miss the zaid window. Every week of delay in sowing compresses the growing period and directly reduces yields. Our advisory focuses on what farmers can act on right now — selecting heat-tolerant varieties, ensuring irrigation every five to seven days, using mulch to conserve moisture and regular scouting for pests such as red spider mites, aphids and fruit flies, whose cycles accelerate in summer heat.
“With residual moisture from unseasonal rain still present in some areas, vigilance against fungal diseases is equally important. Timely, need-based use of crop protection products, in line with label directions and Good Agricultural Practices, can make a significant difference in protecting yields during this short but vital season,” said Durgesh Chandra, Secretary General, CropLife India.
Successive western disturbances have damaged harvest-ready rabi crops across Rajasthan, Haryana, Uttar Pradesh, Madhya Pradesh and other States, CropLife said in a statement. It has also prompted Union Agriculture Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan to direct officials to expedite coordinated crop loss assessments. In several regions, these disruptions has delayed field preparation for the zaid crops, it said.
Iran war impact
Besides, disruptions to global supply chains and key shipping routes due to the conflict in West Asia have raised input costs including crop protection across agricultural sectors. Though the decision to temporarily waive customs duty on key petrochemical inputs is a welcome step, the full benefit is expected to materialise only in subsequent production cycles.
Private forecaster Skymet has projected a below-normal monsoon for 2026 at around 94 per cent of the long-period average, with a 30 per cent probability of drought, while NOAA has indicated a 62 per cent chance of El Niño emerging in June–August, the industry body said.
A weaker monsoon outlook makes zaid season returns even more important as a financial buffer ahead of an uncertain kharif, it said.
“While the evolving geopolitical situation offers some near-term relief to supply chains, uncertainty remains and cost pressures have not fully eased. In such an environment, supply gaps and price volatility increase the risk of counterfeit or substandard crop protection products entering the market. This is a particular concern during the Zaid season, where even one failed spray application on a short-duration crop can result in total yield loss. Farmers must purchase only from licensed dealers, verify product authenticity and strictly follow label and leaflet directions,” Chandra said.
It recommends harvesting before monsoon arrival, use of drip irrigation for water efficiency during peak summer heat, organic or plastic mulch to conserve soil moisture and regular field monitoring with need-based application of crop protection products.
According to latest government data, the sowing in current zaid season has reached 58.29 lakh hectare (lh) as of April 3, as against 57.80 lh in the year-ago period. The paddy acreage has reached 30.12 lh against 32.59 lh, pulses at 8.79 lh from 7.02 lh, oilseeds 7.74 lh from 7.42 lh and maize 7.18 lh from 7.01 lh. The normal (last five years’ average) crop acreage in Zaid season is 75.37 lh whereas last year the area was higher at 83.92 lh.
Published on April 9, 2026