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WEEK NINE
INDIA MONSOON:
INSUFFICIENT RAIN EXPANDS DRYNESS IN CROP AREAS
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Monsoon
Information: Monsoon Background Rainfall Maps: Week Precipitation as of August 2 | Season Precipitation as of August 2 Crop Production Maps: Kharif Cotton | Kharif Peanut | Kharif Rice Previous Reports: | July 21 | July 15 | June 15 | July 26 Report | August 1 | August 9 |
- As reported by USDA-FAS Agricultural Counselor's office in New Delhi, India in conjunction with the India Meteorological Department.
Week Nine Monsoon
Review:
Rainfall
distribution continued to remain unsatisfactory during the week
ending August 2, with only 13 of the 35 weather subdivisions
receiving normal or above normal rainfall. All India, area
weighted rainfall was 35 percent below normal at 44.3 mm. Monsoon
activity during the week was mostly concentrated in the
previously rain-deficient regions of northeast India, Bihar plain
and East Madhya Pradesh. Most parts of south and central India
and Gujarat remained dry for the second consecutive week, which
is causing some concern. Unless the monsoon activity picks up,
crops in these regions (mostly rice, peanut, sorghum and millet)
will start facing moisture stress. Following two weeks of heavy
rains, the previously drought affected Rajasthan also remained
dry. The soybean belt of West Madhya Pradesh received 36 mm rain,
55 percent below normal. [week%normal map]
Seasonal Review: June 1 to August 2 Monsoon
Performance and Impacts:
The southwest monsoon officially
arrived at the southern tip of India on June 1st. Cumulative rainfall during
June 1 to August 2 was normal or above normal in 29 of the 35
weather subdivisions compared with 32 a year ago. Major areas
concern are Saurashtra (cotton and peanut) and Kerala (rice), where the rainfall is 34 to 38 percent
below normal. [season%normal map]
Potential Impact of Erratic
Monsoon:
Many
crop regions are now experiencing mixed conditions as the monsoon
lull continues. 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 west
central India, and soybeans in Maharastra and western Madhya
Pradesh..
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 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.
