PUNE / NEW DELHI: Present weather conditions indicate possibility of a normal monsoon in 2017, although there is a chance of a weak El Niño — a weather phenomenon associated with poor rains in India — emerging towards the end of the rainy season in September, the weather office has said.
However, the monsoon forecast may not remain comfortable if El Niño makes an early appearance.
Having briefly emerged from two back-to-back droughts caused by El Niño conditions, the government is under pressure to take policy decisions about import and export of major commodities.
While there is growing demand to open up export of pulses as prices have dived below the minimum support price, the country is also assessing the need to import sugar as domestic production has declined by 18.5% as on February 28.
India Meteorology Department (IMD) in its latest El Niño Southern Oscillation (ENSO) update has predicted development of weak El Niño conditions in September. According to Australia’s Bureau of Meteorology, prospects of El Niño forming this year have increased to 50%.
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