NEW DELHI, India (Reuters) – India’s monsoon started out well, but has turned erratic, dumping torrential rain in eastern areas while leaving northern and central states parched.
This might have implications for Canadian pulse producers who see India as a key market. They had been disheartened when the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization forecast India would increase pulse production by 30 percent this year to 15 million tonnes.
But now the forecast for a normal monsoon is in doubt. While rain has triggered flooding in some parts of India, analysts said a drought-like situation was developing in some pockets. Indian weather officials said monsoon rains are likely to resume in dry rice and oilseed-growing states this week but a research agency forecast below normal showers, raising concerns about the rural economy.
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The central and western regions grow mainly rice, cotton, oilseeds, sugarcane and pulses in the winter season for which sowing occurs during June and July.
Rains in these regions have been deficient, affecting sowing.
Sowing of pulses was worst hit with the area under cultivation down to 4.8 million acres from 8.6 million.
