Good news for farmers who are mainly dependent on monsoon, the country is expected to receive good rainfall this year. The India Meteorological Department, IMD has predicted that the South-West monsoon rainfall will be above normal in 2016. Briefing reporters in New Delhi today, Director General of IMD, Laxman Singh Rathore said the monsoon rainfall is likely to be 106 per cent of the Long Period Average. Mr Rathore said this year the rainfall will be 6 per cent more than normal which was 14 per cent deficient last year.
On El-Nino phenomena, which not only affected the monsoon last year but also resulted in warmer winters, Mr Rathore said, the El-Nino conditions are weakening which is good for monsoon. The good rainfall will be a boon for the farmers who faced two deficient rainfall years consecutively.
Southwest monsoon is crucial for the sowing of Kharif crops which contribute to major part of country’s total food grain output. A little more than half of India’s cultivable land depends on rainfall during southwest monsoon.
It also contributes about 70 per cent of the total annual soil moisture. The food grain production which was affected due to poor rainfall will get a boost which may help bring down the prices of essential commodities like pulses and oil seeds.