INDIA RECEIVES 8% MORE MONSOON RAIN, BOOSTING AGRICULTURAL ECONOMY

India's monsoon season saw record rains, benefiting Kharif crop sowing and boosting prospects for Rabi crops, with rainfall at 108% of the long period average.

- TBG NETWORK

Southwest monsoon rains in India hit four years high this season, experiencing about 108 per cent of the long period average at 934.8 mm, data made available by state-run weather bureau India Meteorological Department showed. A rainfall of 868.6 mm is the long period average in India.

IMD had in its pre-monsoon forecast predicted rainfall across the country to be above normal, at 106 per cent of the long period average.

Above-normal monsoon rains helped farmers sow more crops this Kharif season and it bodes well for the overall agriculture sector, which is the mainstay source of livelihoods for millions of Indians.

Above normal monsoon rains are likely to improve gross value added (GVA) in the agriculture sector.

Bank of Baroda in a report said that the above normal rainfall not just benefitted Kharif, but upcoming Rabi sowing is also expected to do well.

Traditionally, Indian agriculture, especially the Kharif season, is heavily reliant on monsoon rainfall. However, with the spread of irrigation facilities in the country, the dependency of Kharif output on monsoon rainfall is gradually declining.