September to witness above average rainfall

economictimes.indiatimes.com:

India is likely to see above-average rainfall this month and a delayed withdrawal of monsoon showers, the weather office said, raising concern that it may hit output of kharif crops such as pulses, oilseeds, and fruits and vegetables.

Rainfall is likely to be more than 109% of a 50-year average, Mrutyunjay Mohapatra, director-general of the India Meteorological Department (IMD) said on Saturday.

Above-normal rainfall is likely over most parts of India, except some parts of the extreme north, many parts of south peninsular India, and most parts of the northeastern region where normal to below-normal rainfall is likely.

Government data shows that so far this year, India has received 749 mm of precipitation against the normal 701 mm since the start of the monsoon season in June. The country received about 16% excessive rainfall in August, the second highest since 2001.

The Southwest monsoon brings almost 70% of the rain India needs to water farms and replenish reservoirs and aquifers. However, excessive and prolonged rainfall can damage standing crops.

A normal monsoon boosts agricultural productivity and has a bearing on rural demand for consumer goods, gold, cars, motorcycles, tractors, farm equipment, and inputs such as pesticides, fertilisers and seeds. It is also important for keeping food and overall inflation under check.

Food inflation, which accounts for about half the overall CPI basket, increased to 9.55% in June from 8.69 in May and 4.55% in June 2023.