Monsoon rain seen more than normal for 3rd year

Monsoon rainfall in India, the world’s second-biggest producer of rice, wheat and sugar, may be more than a 50-year average for a third year, potentially helping the nation curb food prices and sustain exports. Rainfall in the June-to-September season may exceed the average of 89 cm (35 inches) according to the so-called coupled forecast model, B N Goswami, director at the Indian Institute of Tropical Meteorology, said in a phone interview from Pune.