(Sept 28): India’s monsoon-sown crops are likely to have been affected by rainfall deficits in some areas and excessive precipitation in others, Farm Secretary Atish Chandra said.

The season was challenging at the start and water shortfalls would pose a challenge for winter sowing in areas that have experienced prolonged rainfall deficits, Chandra said at a meeting with state government officials to discuss preparations for the upcoming winter crop season.

The monsoon is crucial for India’s farmers because it irrigates fields and fills reservoirs that provide water for crops sown through the winter when there is typically less rain. India is a major producer of rice, wheat, sugar and cotton.

Water budgeting was a necessity, and winter cropping patterns would have to be planned based on availability, Agriculture Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan said at the meeting Monday.

So far this year, cumulative rainfall for the June to September monsoon season is 12% below the long-term average, according to the India Meteorological Department. If the deficit persists, it would be the weakest monsoon since 2015, when precipitation was almost 13% below normal. The weather office had forecast a 10% shortfall for this season back in May.

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