INDIA - India has recorded its driest June in twelve years, and the fifth-driest since nationwide rainfall records began in 1901, according to the country's weather department....
The India Meteorological Department (IMD) has also forecast below-normal rainfall for July, raising concerns over the progress of crop sowing this year. Government data shows the area planted with summer crops until the end of June is down by nearly 23% from the corresponding period in 2025, with rice sowing falling by a quarter. Millions of farmers rely on seasonal monsoon rains to sow their crops and a shortfall or delay significantly affects their output.
Data released by the federal agriculture ministry showed farmers had sown summer crops across 18.27 million hectares till 30 June, down from 23.65 million hectares during the same period last year. India's main summer crops include rice, pulses, coarse cereals, oilseeds, cotton, sugarcane and jute. These crops depend heavily on the southwest monsoon, which normally provides about 70% of India's annual rainfall. (BBC)
