New Delhi, Aug 28 Despite a slowdown in early August, the rainfall from India’s South-West monsoon in the year is 4 per cent above the long-period average (LPA), a report said on Thursday.
This has led to a 3.4 per cent increase year-on-year (YoY) in kharif sowing, with foodgrains showing the sharpest rise of 6.2 per cent in terms of sown area, the report from CareEdge Ratings said.
All regions have recorded rainfall above the LPA except East and North-East India, which reported deficient rain of 17 per cent.
Rainfall in North-West India was recorded at 19 per cent above LPA, followed by Central India at 9 per cent above LPA and the South Peninsula at 5 per cent above LPA.
Meghalaya experienced a deficit of 43 per cent, followed by Arunachal Pradesh at 39 per cent, Assam at 34 per cent, and Bihar at 26 per cent. Overall, of the 36 subdivisions, 24 covering 60 per cent of the country’s area have received normal rainfall since June, the report said.
The area sown with cereals grew at 7.2 per cent and pulses at 1.2 per cent. Among other crops, sugarcane sowing increased by 2.9 per cent, while oilseeds and fibres registered contractions of 2.8 per cent and 2.7 per cent, respectively.
The weak performance in sowing of oilseeds remains concerning, given the elevated inflation seen in this category, the report noted.
Reservoir storage has improved significantly with all-India levels at 78 per cent of capacity, compared with 72 per cent last year, aiding irrigation efforts. The IMD predicts above-normal rainfall during second half of Southwest monsoon, which will support agricultural production.
Ratings agency, however, noted that risks to agricultural output amid excessive rainfall in some parts of the country remain a key monitorable going ahead.
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