Indian agriculture has traditionally been hostage to the vagaries of the southwest monsoon. Good and well-distributed rains during June-September usually translate into a bumper kharif crop that is planted during and harvested after the season, while it is the other way round when the monsoon fails. This time, the country received 7.9 per cent above the normal historical average rainfall for the season as a whole. However, excess rain in September (15.3 per cent above normal) and so far this month (39.4 per cent surplus) has not only delayed harvesting but also raised concerns over damage to the standing crop. Such worries have become less when it comes to the winter-spring or rabi crop. The abundant rainfall during the monsoon and after has filled India’s 161 major reservoirs to 91.4 per

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