Private weather forecaster Skymet expects the upcoming June-September monsoon to be 'below normal' to the tune of 94% of the long period average (LPA), raising concerns about food grain production in the country. In January, Skymet had forecast the monsoon 2023 to be sub-par and now retains the same outlook.  "Courtesy Triple-Dip-La Nina, southwest monsoon observed above normal/normal rainfall for the last four consecutive seasons. Now, La Nina has ended. Likelihood...

Hindu Businessline El Nino is one piece in the mammoth jigsaw puzzle that the Pacific Ocean and its seasonal climatic patterns typify. Being the largest single body of water, the Pacific has an outsized influence on weather and climate across the globe. During El Niño, trade winds weaken and warm water gets pushed back East of the Pacific, towards the West coast of the Americas.  Generally, El Niño occurs more frequently than...

-Hindustan Times Farm-insurance claims have risen due to extensive crop damage caused by extreme weather conditions this year, but some farmers are angry at being given a pittance as compensation under the Pradhan Mantri Fasal Bima Yojana. Krushna Raut, a farmer in Maharashtra’s Parbhani district, stared in disbelief at a message on his mobile phone, which showed ₹1.76 had been transferred to his bank account towards his crop-insurance claim. He first thought...

-Reuters/ThePrint.in State like UP has received 500% more rainfall than normal so far in October. Higher food prices could prompt India to slap additional restrictions on exports of food commodities. Mumbai: Heavy rainfall in India has damaged key summer-sown crops such as rice, soybean, cotton, pulses and vegetables just before harvesting, which could stoke food inflation in Asia’s third biggest economy, farmers, traders and industry officials said. Higher food prices could prompt New...

-The Telegraph There has been a pick-up in the prices of vegetables, fruits, eggs, meat and fish and cereals mostly because of erratic rains Wholesale price index-based (WPI) inflation eased to a 11-month low of 12.41 per cent in August on softening in the prices of manufactured and fuel products even as food items remained expensive. Although WPI inflation declined for three consecutive months in August, it remained in double digits for...