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INDIA: MONSOON LEAVES SOUTHERN GROWING REGIONS DRY
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Monsoon
Information: Monsoon Background Rainfall Maps:
Week Precipitation as of July
26
| Season Precipitation as of July
26 Previous Reports: | July 21 | July 15 | June 15 | July 26 Report | |
- As reported by USDA-FAS Agricultural Counselor's office in New Delhi, India in conjunction with the India Meteorological Department.
Week Eight Monsoon
Review:
There was a lull
in monsoon activity during the week ending July 26, with
only 7 out of 35 weather subdivisions receiving normal or above
normal rainfall. Areas which received satisfactory rains include
:East and West Rajasthan (millet, corn and pulses), West Madhya
Pradesh (soybeans), East Madhya Pradesh, Gangetic West Bengal and
Plains of Bihar (rice). In the rest of the country, rainfall was
20 to 99 percent below normal. The entire southern India received
very little or no rain finishing the week with well below normal
rainfall totals.[week%normal map]
Seasonal Review: June 1 to July 26 Monsoon
Performance and Impacts:
The southwest monsoon officially
arrived at the southern tip of India on June 1st. The monsoon's
progress has been generally satisfactory in most regions though
slow to arrive in some areas though now concern has shifted to
southern India. Despite the low rainfall amounts received in the
southern half of the sub-continent the overall distribution of
rains during the first half of the June-September monsoon season
has been generally satisfactory with 28 out of the 35 weather
subdivisions receiving normal or above normal cumulative
rainfall. All India, area-weighted rainfall was estimated at 423
mm, 1 percent above normal. [season%normal map]
Potential Impact of Erratic
Monsoon:
Overall,
the majority of growing areas are performing satisfactory with
few areas of crop stress. The
final outcome of this year’s Kharif (fall harvested) crops
will largely depend on rainfall distribution during the second
half of the monsoon season. Continued dry conditions in coming
weeks could jeopardize production prospects particularly for
areas which received below normal rainfall during the previous
three weeks. Areas to watch include the cotton and peanut areas
in southern portion of India. Cumulative rainfall in Rajasthan and Gujarat
has now reached normal or above normal levels. Although the rains
came late to the west central states many farmers were able to
take advantage of the remaining window of opportunity for the
planting of short-duration crops. In Rajasthan, the farmers will
likely favor planting of millet and pulses, while in Gujarat
peanuts and cotton will dominate. The drought-stricken livestock
population in this region also greatly benefited from increased
availability of fodder and drinking water brought on by increased
monsoon rains since early July.
Monsoon Coverage Crop Production Maps
The following rainfall maps [ Cotton, Peanut, Rice ] depict the seasonal
situation, specifically cumulative precipitation amount expressed
as fraction of the 30 year normal received during the same time
period.
India Monsoon: Week Eight as Percent of Normal | top of page
.
India Monsoon: Season-to-Date as Percent of
Normal | top of page
India Cotton and Monsoon Progress | top of page
India Peanut and Monsoon Progress | top of page
India Rice and Monsoon Progress | top of page
India
Monsoon Information | top of page
Monsoon Background: The southwest monsoon
typically enters the mainland over Kerala in the first week of
June. It moves northward to cover the whole of India by mid-July.
It starts withdrawing from mid-September. The southwest monsoon
is critical to the development of Indian agricultural production.
The southwest monsoon provides 80 percent of India's total
precipitation and is critical to the development of its major
food and commercial crops such as rice, coarse grains, pulses,
peanuts, soybeans and cotton. Planting of the largely rainfed
Kharif (monsoon season) crops, which include rice, sorghum, corn,
millet, peanut, soybean and cotton will begin after the monsoon
firmly establishes itself over the major producing states and
planting will continue through July and early August. Farmers in
the northern rice surplus states of Punjab and Haryana, where
irrigation is available, often complete rice transplanting prior
to the monsoon arrival.. This season's pre-monsoon, or early
season rains in central, south and east India should provide a
favorable early season planting conditions for rice, soybeans,
sorghum and corn. The country's economy is to a large extent
dependent on monsoon rains.
For more information, contact Jim Crutchfield with the Production Estimates and Crop Assessment Division on (202) 690-0135 or by e-mail at crutchfieldj@fas.usda.gov.
