2 days ago

Below-normal September rains threaten crops, inflation and rural demand

Below-normal September rains raise crop, inflation risks · livemint.com

India’s weather department expects less rain than usual in September.

This is worrying because farmers need rain to grow crops.

June and August were already much drier than normal, although July had slightly more rain than usual.

Crops such as rice, pulses and oilseeds may be especially affected.

Less rain could also make vegetables and cooking oils more expensive.

Farmers may earn less money, which could reduce spending in villages.

The country’s rice and maize planting areas were already smaller than last year by August 28.

A weather pattern called El Niño is making dry conditions more likely, so officials are asking people to save water and prepare for farming problems.

Key facts

September rainfall forecast: Below 91% of the long-period average, whose September benchmark is 167.9 mm.
Rainfall through August: Cumulative rainfall from June 1 to August 31 was 603.7 mm, or 13.8% below normal.
Monthly rainfall pattern: June was 35.4% below normal, July was 1% above normal and August was 16.3% below normal.
Kharif crop coverage: Major kharif crops covered 107.1 million hectares by August 28, compared with 109 million hectares a year earlier.
Rice acreage: Rice sowing stood at 41.4 million hectares, down from 42.8 million hectares a year earlier.
Maize acreage: Maize acreage was 8.99 million hectares, down from 9.38 million hectares a year earlier.
July retail inflation: Retail inflation was 4.45%, while food inflation was 5.52%, according to provisional data.

livemint.com · 2 days ago