The India Meteorological Department (IMD) predicts "above normal" rain for the June-September monsoon, boosting the prospects of a bountiful agricultural harvest. This follows uneven rain in 2023, mainly due to the El Niño effect, which led to patchy farm output, increased food prices, and kept the central bank from cutting interest rates. Rain in the southwest is expected to be 106% of the long period average (LPA), with a 5% margin of error.
