India, June 2 -- Amid forecasts of a below-normal monsoon due to El Nino, the Centre on Monday said the Agriculture Ministry has formed crop weather watch and crisis management groups, besides circulating a crisis management plan to State Governments, to mitigate risks to kharif crops.

The Inter-Ministerial briefing, held in the context of recent developments in West Asia, also addressed concerns around food and fertiliser security.

States have been asked to maintain a seed reserve of one per cent, with emphasis on short and medium-duration varieties.

Fertiliser stocks stand at 51 per cent of requirement for the kharif season - well above the conventionally maintained 33 per cent -owing to advance stocking and improved logistics manage...