Monsoon impact on Indian Agriculture

Monsoon rains in India, the world’s leading producer of some farm products, have been 23% below average since the four-month season began on June 1, delaying sowing of some summer-planted crops such as rice, lentils and oil seeds. The annual rains are crucial for farm output and economic growth as nearly half of the country’s arable land is rain-fed. The farm sector makes up about 15% of a nearly USD 2-trillion economy. Up till now, farmers had planted rice, the main summer crop, on 5.54 million hectares, down from 7.51 million a year earlier. Sowing is lagging in the top producing states of West Bengal and Andhra Pradesh. Lower water levels in reservoirs and poor rains have also hit states such as Punjab, Haryana and Uttar Pradesh. Sowing has been picking up after rains in the past few days.

Patchy rains have hit lentils, popularly known as pulses in India. The country will have to step up imports from Australia, Canada and Myanmar if output drops again this year. Key growing states such as Maharashtra, Karnataka and Andhra Pradesh got less rain, but showers have improved since. Poor rains in the biggest coffee producing state of Karnataka could hurt the crop. Dealers say it will be difficult to meet the state-run Coffee Board’s output forecast of 325,300 tonnes. Showers have been 35% below average in the biggest rubber-producing state of Kerala. But the distribution of rains was good, helping the Rubber Board retain its forecast of a record output.Tea output was hit in the first five months due to dry weather conditions followed by heavy rains in the main growing areas. The weather condition is likely to trim output further.