Uncertainty Over Indian Monsoon

VANCOUVER - Jul 6/06 - SNS -- News for this year's kharif or monsoon season crops in India is more uncertain than usual, with reports of increased seedings offset by news the country's monsoon is weaker than normal.

India experienced a 17-day lull in the intensity of the monsoon in June, contributing in 21% below normal rainfall coverage. Even so, pulse seedings are so far running ahead of last year, with farmers getting 744,000 hectares of pulses in the ground in June, compared to 416,000 hectares last year.

Officials at India's National Centre of Medium Range Weather Forecasting now say the monsoon has again weakened and the country could face below normal rainfall in central and coastal provinces, including Mumbai, through the start of the coming week. At the same time, the monsoon is unlikely to advance in a northwest direction. In fact, the northern perimeter for the monsoon has not advanced since the end of June.

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