Monsoon rains 7% above normal in past week

The country's crucial monsoon rains were 7% above normal in the week to July 20, picking up from about a fifth below average in the previous week, the weather office said on Thursday.

The rains had been expected to improve after a lull phase in the first half of July, the key month for planting, but are still forecast to be only slightly below normal for the entire June to September season.

Rains were above average over soybean and cane growing areas of central and western India in the past week. Tea, coffee and rubber growing areas of south India also received above average rains.

But rice areas in eastern and south India received less rains over the past week.

Last year, rainfall was 17% below normal in the week to July 21 after a weak start in June, but rains picked up in the remaining period of the four-month monsoon and ended as normal.

The four-month monsoon rains are crucial to crop production in 60 percent of the country that does not have adequate irrigation.