August 11, 2011 / 15:15 IST
India's monsoon rains were 14% above normal in the week to August 10, improving sharply from 22% below average the week before, the weather office said on Thursday, boosting the outlook for summer crops such cane, cotton and rice.
Rains were well distributed over the oilseed, soybean and rice growing areas of northwest and central India, the sources said, though they were below normal in the cane growing areas of west and north.But slower rains at this stage are not necessarily bad for the sturdier cane crop which, sources said, was doing fine now.Rains have also been good over the lentil and cereal growing areas of the western Rajasthan state."The monsoon is now in an active phase and likely to remain so until early next week," said one source at the weather office.The rains have been four percent below normal in the period June 1-Aug 10, weather office data showed.India's June to September monsoon rains are crucial to crop output in 60% of the country that does not have adequate irrigation.Last year, rainfall was 26% below normal in the first week to Aug, 11 days after a weak start, but it picked up during the four-month season and ended normal.The revival in the last week was in sharp contrast to the previous two weeks when the rains were 22-23% below average. Discover the latest Business News, Sensex, and Nifty updates. Obtain Personal Finance insights, tax queries, and expert opinions on Moneycontrol or download the Moneycontrol App to stay updated!
