-Livemint.com While initial monsoon forecast bodes well for the season that accounts for over 70% of annual rainfall, IMD also predicts of 50% chance of weak El Nino formation from Sept New Delhi: India’s annual monsoon forecast sends social media into overdrive and is splashed across newspapers. This year’s outlook has some analysts warning that weather watchers may be disappointed. India is set for a normal June to September monsoon, with rainfall...

-The Times of India NEW DELHI: The India Meteorological Department (IMD), country's national weather forecaster, on Tuesday predicted Normal Monsoon rainfall for the year, sending a positive signal to the farm sector and the overall economy. "Even the distribution of the rainfall is expected to be good this year," said IMD chief KJ Ramesh, sounding quite optimistic about the prospect of having a good year for the country's agriculture. Good spatial distribution...

-Livemint.com Mint’s rural distress index is below its median value, but it conceals varying distress levels across states Uttar Pradesh chief minister Yogi Adityanath’s announcement of farm loan waiver has given credence to similar demands from across the country. Those making these demands include political parties, protesting farmers and even the judiciary. An earlier Plainfacts column had pointed out how farm loan waivers can be counter-productive in the long run, a fact...

-The Times of india PUNE: India could have had some relief from the scorching heat early this summer, had it received its fair share of premonsoon showers. As heat singes parts of the country, India Meteorological Department (IMD) data revealed that the country received the lowest pre-monsoon rain in the past four years during March this year. During previous years, since 2014, India received an excess of March rainfall. March 2017, however, witnessed...

-IndiaSpend The drop comes despite a good monsoon in 2016 A good monsoon that led to record sowing and production of pulses–especially tur dal (pigeon pea)–has almost halved their wholesale and retail prices in 2017, a year after dal prices skyrocketed to Rs 200 per kg in some cities at the end of 2015. In many state-regulated agricultural markets of major tur-producing states such as Maharashtra and Karnataka, prices have fallen to Rs...