IMD's monsoon 2017 forecast today: Agriculture less dependent on rainfall

Last year the IMD had predicted the rains to be above normal

Although, Indian agriculture is gradually getting delinked from monsoon and the impact of a failed monsoon is not as severe as it has been in the past, but nonetheless the June to September rains are vital for farming as less than half of the total arable land in the country is under irrigation. 

The June to September monsoon months provide more than 70 per cent of the total annual precipitation that India gets.

El Nino is characterized by gradual warming of the sea surface temperature along the equatorial Pacific Ocean. It has an over-bearing impact on Indian rains and 80 per cent