A reasonably well-distributed rainfall during the just-concluded kharif season may favour good crop production in most parts of the country.
This is as per projections in the latest Agromet Advisory service bulletin of India Meteorological Department (IMD).
ONLY EXCEPTIONS
The only exceptions to this outlook are the drought and flood-affected areas which found themselves at the receiving end of a varyingly truant monsoon during a crucial mid-phase, the bulletin said.
Recent showers reported from parts of the country are favourable for sowing of Rabi crops. Farmers have been advised to undertake land preparation and sowing of crops once the kharif harvest is over.
Meanwhile, the southwest monsoon has withdrawn from most parts of northwest India, Gujarat and Madhya Pradesh.
Mainly dry weather is likely to prevail except in Jammu and Kashmir, Himachal Pradesh and Uttarakhand.
KHARIF HARVEST
Farmers in these regions have been advised to undertake harvesting of kharif rice, maize, bajra and jowar and prepare field for sowing of Rabi crops with residual soil moisture.
Good rainfall received during last week of September in Bihar, Jharkhand and West Bengal may favour grain filling of kharif rice in these regions.
This rain will also be helpful for sowing of Rabi crops.
Due to poor rainfall conditions prevailing in Rayalaseema, many of the late sown crops at the pod formation/pod development stage seem to suffer from moisture stress.
Farmers have been advised to arrange for supplementary irrigation as the crops are now at critical stage.
LA NINA
Meanwhile, La Nina conditions in the east equatorial Pacific are expected to gradually strengthen and continue through the winter, an update from the Climate Prediction Centre (CPC) of the US National Weather Services said.
During September, La Nina conditions have strengthened, the CPC said.
The event is not as strong as it was a year ago but roughly one-half of the models predict it to strengthen during the winter.
At this point of time, it is safe to expect a weak or moderate strength La Nina as the most likely outcome ahead, the CPC added.