India's monsoon rains just above normal in past week: official

NEW DELHI: India's monsoon rains were one percent above normal in the week to Sept. 14, weakening from 39 percent above average in the previous week, the weather office said on Thursday.

The monsoon rains were three percent above average since the start of the June-September season, in line with the weather office's latest forecast of a normal monsoon in 2011, which means rains of 96 to 104 percent of a long-term average.

India's monsoon rains are crucial to crop production in 60 percent of the country that does not have adequate irrigation.

Normal rains so far over major crop producing regions have helped planting of summer crops like rice, cane and oilseeds, and boosted prospects for their output.

Output of summer-planted grains is expected at 123.88 million tonnes, Farm Minister Sharad Pawar said on Wednesday, releasing the first of the four forecasts for the 2011/12 crop year.

Copyright Reuters, 2011