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India gears up for another month of above-average rainfall in September

By Rajendra Jadhav

MUMBAI (Reuters) – India is expected to receive above-average rainfall in September after excessive rains in August, the weather department said on Saturday.

India Meteorological Department Director General Mrutyunjay Mohapatra said September rainfall is likely to exceed 109% of the 50-year average at a virtual press conference.

Excessive rainfall can damage summer-sown crops such as rice, cotton, soybeans, corn and legumes, which are usually harvested from mid-September onwards.

Crop damage can lead to food inflation, but rainfall can also increase soil moisture, which is beneficial for planting winter-sown crops such as wheat, rapeseed and chickpeas.

India, the world’s second-largest producer of wheat, sugar and rice, has imposed several restrictions on the export of these agricultural products. Any losses due to excessive rainfall could prompt New Delhi to extend the restrictions.

After a 9% increase in July, August saw 15.3% more rainfall than average in India. The northwestern and central regions of the country experienced heavy rainfall, leading to flooding in some states.

Since the start of the monsoon season on June 1, the country has received 6.9% more rain than average.

The lifeblood of a nearly $3.5 trillion economy, the annual monsoon brings nearly 70 percent of the rain India needs to water farms and replenish reservoirs and aquifers. Without irrigation, nearly half of the country’s farmland depends on the rainfall that typically lasts from June to September.

The monsoon generally withdraws from the northwestern state of Rajasthan from mid-September and completely returns to the country by mid-October.

However, the September forecast indicates that the withdrawal may be delayed this year.

“The forecast for September suggests that there will be good rainfall activity in Rajasthan and Gujarat starting around September 15. Nowadays, if you look at it, the withdrawal is delayed,” Mohapatra said.

By mid-September, the summer-sown crops are ready to harvest. Rainfall during this period can damage the ripe crops, said a trader with a global trading house in Mumbai.

(Reporting by Rajendra Jadhav; Editing by Gareth Jones)