Don’t miss the latest developments in business and finance.

India downgrades monsoon forecast, stokes fears of drought

Image
Reuters NEW DELHI
Last Updated : Jun 02 2015 | 1:42 PM IST

NEW DELHI (Reuters) - India has downgraded this year's monsoon forecast to 88 percent of the long-term average, Earth Sciences Minister Harsh Vardhan said on Tuesday, raising fears of a drought in the country where nearly half of farmland lack irrigation facilities.

India in April forecast monsoon rains at 93 percent of the long-term average.

The forecast has an error margin of 4 percentage points.

(Reporting by Ratnajyoti Dutta; Editing by Biju Dwarakanath)

Also Read

First Published: Jun 02 2015 | 1:25 PM IST

Next Story