NEW DELHI (Reuters) - India will offer subsidies on seeds and diesel to help farmers facing patchy monsoon rains in some key growing states, a government statement said on Wednesday.
The government, which has earmarked 1 billion rupees for diesel subsidies, will also ensure subsidised seeds are available in case farmers need to plant their crops again, the statement said after a cabinet meeting chaired by Prime Minister Narendra Modi.
Monsoon rains irrigate nearly half of India's farm lands. So far, the June-September monsoon rains have been 9 percent below a long-term average.
Fourteen states, including Bihar, Punjab, Haryana, Karnataka, Maharashtra and Uttar Pradesh have received less than satisfactory rains this year.
Subsidies for seeds and diesel and a few other measures to help cushion the blow of poor monsoon would cost 3 billion rupees, said the statement.
(Reporting by Mayank Bhardwaj; Editing by Mark Potter)