India: Excess Rains Support Higher Rabi Planting Area

The southwest monsoon concluded on October 25, 2021, while the northeast monsoon set in on the same date. Rainfall during the northeast monsoon, also referred to as the post-monsoon season (October-December), was 44 percent higher (178 mm) than the normal fifty-year average. Higher rainfall led to a four percent increase in winter (rabi) crop plantings (compared to the five-year average) with greater area for oilseeds and wheat. The late withdrawal of the 2021 southwest monsoon represents the seventh most delayed conclusion to the monsoon in the 1975-2021 period, representing a rising trend that is changing the planting window for winter crops.