-Reuters A shortfall in monsoon rains has widened to nearly 50 percent of average in the past week, making a revival next week crucial for farmers to sow summer-planted crops such as rice, corn, cane, cotton and soybean. The annual rains are crucial for farm output and economic growth as about 55 percent of the South Asian nation's arable land is rain-fed. Farm sector accounts for about 15 percent of a nearly $2-trillion...
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World braves one of the worst summers; May temperature second hottest since 1880
-The Economic Times It's not just India that is baking. Globally, this seems to be one of the worst summers in recorded history. The global average temperature for May was the second hottest ever since 1880 - the year records were first compiled -- US National Climatic Data Centre (NCDC) has said. Only 2010 witnessed a worse May. The NCDC said such a hot May was never recorded in the northern hemisphere. No...
More »30 per cent below
-The Business Standard The government must prepare for below-normal monsoon A massive 30 per cent deficiency in the monsoon rainfall in June, coupled with an anticipated low precipitation in September, may add to the government’s difficulties in achieving its growth and fiscal deficit targets. Agriculture may not be the only victim of poor rainfall. Its contribution to gross domestic product (GDP) may have dipped to mere 15 per cent but it still...
More »Fear of drought haunts Bihar again
-IANS The spectre of drought is looming large over Bihar, something that state officials have acknowledged. "If the monsoon fails the state in the first two weeks of July, the situation may be near drought," an official here said. Monsoon normally hits the state between June 12 and June 14. But this year, it was delayed by over a week. Soon after the rains began, they have been scanty. The state has received...
More »Karnataka: drought hits 27 districts, BJP in CM tussle-Deepa Balakrishnan
-CNN-IBN A drought of a different kind has affected Karnataka. One of governance. While 27 districts in the state are facing a rainfall deficit and farmers are worried, the state's Agriculture, Water and Rural Development Ministers have not taken corrective steps. In fact, what they are more bothered about is who should be sitting in the Chief Minister's Chair. Estimates show that just about 15 per cent of the crops have been...
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