North-west India, with a rain deficit of 37%, and peninsular India, with a shortfall of 39%, bore the brunt. Millions of farmers wait for the rains to begin summer sowing of major crops, such as rice, sugar, cotton, coarse cereals and oilseeds. Robust summer rains, which account for 70% of India’s total annual rainfall, spur rural spending on most items and increases demand in other sectors of the economy. Officials at IMD, however, said concerns about El Niño are premature. June onwards, it will move towards neutral El Niño conditions.

Source: Hindustan Times May 11, 2019 02:03 UTC