August rainfall fails to reduce India's monsoon deficit
India's cumulative monsoon rainfall deficit remains despite August's better-than-expected rains. This deficit has caused a significant acreage gap in kharif crop sowing. Paddy and maize acreage have both reported notable declines compared to last year. Erratic rainfall distribution prevented increased acreage for most kharif crops. Several states, including Bihar and Andhra Pradesh, face…
NEW DELHI — Despite better-than-expected rainfall in August, India's cumulative monsoon rainfall deficit remains unchanged. As of July 31, the country's cumulative rainfall shortfall (since June 1) stood at 13%, which increased to nearly 14% by August. Certain states, such as Bihar, Andhra Pradesh, Punjab, and several northeastern states, experienced a significant rainfall shortfall.
This monsoon deficit impacted the sowing of kharif crops, with paddy, the primary seasonal crop, declining by more than 3% compared to the same period last year. Maize, which serves as a major feedstock for ethanol production, saw an even more substantial decline of over 4%.
The overall kharif crop acreage was reported to be down nearly 2% as of Friday compared to the previous year, with a near 3% deficit by the end of July. The acreage couldn't be expanded due to irregular rainfall distribution during July and August.
While many areas bucked the El Nino-linked predictions and received normal rainfall, 12 states reported a rainfall deficit exceeding 20% since June 1. Notably, Bihar, Andhra Pradesh, and three northeastern states—Meghalaya, Manipur, and Arunachal Pradesh—saw a significant rainfall deficit of over 40%.
El Nino, characterized by the warming of surface waters in the central and eastern tropical Pacific Ocean, often leads to weak monsoons and harsher summers in India. Although eastern India received good rains during the final days of August, as predicted by the India Meteorological Department (IMD), it may only marginally reduce the deficit for that region. The IMD also forecasted continued subdued rainfall activity over peninsular India in the coming week.
In summary, the monsoon deficit has persisted, with a deficit of more than 23% in cumulative rainfall for peninsular India. Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka, and Kerala remain largely dry during the southwest monsoon season. The IMD predicted isolated heavy to very heavy rainfall over certain areas, including Gangetic West Bengal, Jharkhand, and Odisha, but overall, the rainfall situation in the country remains subdued.
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