Weak monsoon not yet a worry for India

NEW DELHI: Weak monsoon rains in recent days is not a cause of concern for India, Farm Secretary Prabeer Kumar Basu said on Tuesday.

The weather office last week said monsoon rains, which irrigate 60 per cent of the country's farms, were 24 percent below normal in the week to July 14.

Monsoon rainfall was 16 per cent below normal in June but heavy showers in early July reduced the deficit to 10 per cent. Farm Minister Sharad Pawar said last Friday the slow progress of monsoon had not yet hurt crops such as rice, cane and soybean.