The southwest monsoon 2025 commenced its withdrawal by mid-September. It is time to evaluate its performance and look at harvest prospects of key crops. The good news is, as forecast by the IMD, the country has enjoyed above-normal rainfall. Between June 1 and September 27, the country received 922 mm of rainfall, 8 per cent above normal.

While east and northeast India (mainly Bihar and Assam) suffered a 19 per cent rainfall deficiency, the northwest parts (mainly Punjab and Rajasthan) had a 28 per cent surplus, central India 13 per cent and the southern peninsula 11 per cent.

While the total quantum of rainfall during the season is important, temporal and spatial distribution is critical for agriculture. From that perspective, August and September witnessed excessive precipitation in so

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