Monsoon rally cuts deficit to 2%, but poor rains in UP hit sowing

NEW DELHI: Active monsoon conditions over the past 12 days has seen the countrywide rain deficit reduce to 2% from a high of 9%, but rainfall has continued to be poor in some major paddy-growing states, particularly Uttar Pradesh and Bihar, hitting the ongoing sowing of kharif crops.

The Met office expects the monsoon to remain active in the rest of the month, which means monsoon in July is likely to be normal.

The turnaround in the monsoon began around July 11. Since then, central India has gone from a slight rain deficit to an 18% surplus for the season. Rains have been good in south India as well, which currently has a season's surplus of 11%. Northwest India has seen average rainfall during this 12-day period, with the overall deficit being dented slightly from 10% to 6% (till July 23).

"The pick-up in the monsoon happened due to two lowpressure systems, one after the other, bringing wet weather from the Bay of Bengal. Another system is forming in the bay and should affect east, northeast India and UP from July 28 onwards till the monthend," said M Mohapatra, head of services at the India Meteorological Department.

Rainfall in July has largely skipped east and northeast India, where the season's deficit now stands at a high 32%.

Rains have been also particularly poor in Uttar Pradesh, which currently has a season's shortfall of 42%. Bihar and Jharkhand, too, have deficits of 46% and 35%, respectively, while adjoining West Bengal has received 23% less rainfall than normal. These, along with the northeastern states - particularly Mizoram, which has a shortfall of 69% - and Rayalseema, are remain the only rainfall deficient states in the country. While farmers in central India should benefit from bountiful rains, the below-par monsoon in much of the paddy-growing region has affected overall summer (kharif) crop sowing. According to figures released last Friday, kharif sowing is around 9% below the corresponding figure last year.