India is expected to experience above-average rainfall in July, following a 11% deficit in June, according to the weather department's Monday announcement. This forecast raises hopes for increased agricultural yields and economic expansion in Asia's third-largest economy. All regions, excluding the northeastern states, are anticipated to receive rainfall exceeding 106% of the 50-year average in July, revealed Mrutyunjay Mohapatra, the director-general of the India Meteorological Department (IMD), during a virtual press conference.
Summer rains, vital for the economic growth of Asia's third-largest economy, typically commence in the south around June 1 and spread across the nation by July 8, enabling farmers to cultivate crops like rice, cotton, soybeans, and sugarcane. The monsoon has nearly enveloped the entire country and is expected to cover the remaining parts of the northern states of Rajasthan, Haryana, and Punjab within the next two to three days, ahead of the customary schedule, Mohapatra noted.
In June, India faced an 11% rainfall shortfall, with all regions except the south experiencing below-average precipitation due to a loss of monsoon momentum in mid-June. Certain states, including Himachal Pradesh, Uttarakhand, and the Himalayan foothills, are likely to encounter heavy rainfall in July, potentially resulting in landslides and floods, Mohapatra cautioned. At least 11 lives were lost in New Delhi due to unexpected heavy rains last week, disrupting flight operations in the capital.
A La Nina weather pattern is anticipated to emerge during the latter half of the monsoon season, typically enhancing rainfall, Mohapatra added. The monsoon, the lifeblood of the nearly $3.5 trillion economy, provides approximately 70% of the rainfall necessary for agricultural irrigation and reservoir replenishment. Without irrigation, nearly half of the farmland in the world's second-largest producer of rice, wheat, and sugar relies on the annual rains, which generally span from June to September.
The planting of summer-sown crops was delayed in some states due to inconsistent rainfall, but the current upswing in precipitation will aid farmers in expediting the sowing of paddy, cotton, soybeans, and sugarcane, according to a Mumbai-based dealer at a global trading firm.
