Monsoon starts retreating after delivering surplus rain in India

The India Meteorological Department (IMD) on Monday announced the withdrawal of the southwest monsoon from parts of West Rajasthan and Kachchh, nearly a week later than usual.
In a statement, the weather body said that the withdrawal signalled the end of the monsoon’s four-month journey across the mainland, which commenced in June with its arrival in Kerala.
However, despite the initial withdrawal from west Rajasthan, an incoming Low-Pressure System (LPS) might delay the monsoon’s exit from certain areas in the north and northwest regions of India, the IMD said.
As of September 23, India had received a cumulative rainfall surplus of 5 per cent, with nearly all regions reporting above-average precipitation.
The abundant rain has bolstered the sowing of kharif crops to one of their best levels in recent years. A strong end to the monsoon season has also replenished reservoirs and this augurs well for the upcoming rabi sowing. Moreover, the late surge in rainfall may have enhanced residual soil moisture levels.
Until September 20, based on the latest data from the government, kharif crops had been sown across approximately 110.46 million hectares, reflecting a 1.51 per cent increase compared to the same period last year, and 0.80 per cent above the normal acreage, defined as the average of the past five years (2018-19 to 2022-23). The standouts this season were paddy, arhar, groundnut, soybean, and maize.
A bumper harvest of these crops may help the government to ease some of the stringent export and domestic trade restrictions imposed over the past year due to lower-than-expected production levels. Steps are already underway to relax certain curbs, including the elimination of the minimum export price (MEP) for basmati rice and onions.
Additionally, the government has increased the import duty on edible oils to protect farmers after a combination of bumper production and low-cost imports driven the rates of oilseeds below their state-mandated minimum support price (MSP).