Excess rains in the fag end of monsoon season have led to crop damage, with a few states in the Southern region and parts of central India bearing significant losses. Storage levels in water reservoirs have continued to rise while sowing of major crops like rice and coarse cereals was completed last month.
Overall rainfall was 7.7 percent above the long period average (LPA) as of September 15, based on Indian Meteorological Department (IMD) data analysis by Barclays. This compares to rainfall at 7.3 percent LPA in last week. Monsoon rainfall surplus over the past week remained concentrated in states already facing excess rainfall, such as Rajasthan, parts of central region, Andhra Pradesh, and Telangana.
The agriculture minister stated that crop damage from excess rainfall could be low—in the range of 2-4 percent of overall production. However, according to Barclays, crop loss in Andhra Pradesh and Telangana could be significantly higher, with the ministry currently in the process of assessing the impact in other states, including Maharashtra.
Source - www.forbesindia.com
