India will witness below-normal monsoon rainfall in June this year, the weather department has said. JUNE RAINFALL 20 PER CENT BELOW AVERAGEThe country has received 20 per cent deficient rains since the southwest monsoon set in over Kerala on May 30, with the rain-bearing system making no significant progress between June 12 and 18, the weather department said. India received 64.5 mm of rainfall between June 1 and 18 which is 20 per cent less than the long-period average (LPA) of 80.6 mm, it said. The monsoon is critical for India's agricultural landscape, with 52 per cent of the net cultivated area relying on it. June and July are considered the most important monsoon months for agriculture because most of the sowing for the Kharif crop takes place during this period.

Source: India Today June 19, 2024 18:11 UTC