By Rajendra Jadhav

MUMBAI (Reuters) – After excessive rains in August, India is expected to receive above-average rainfall in September, the weather department said on Saturday.

Rainfall in September is likely to be more than 109% of the 50-year average, Mrutyunjay Mohapatra, director general of the India Meteorological Department, said at a virtual press conference.

Above-average rainfall could harm summer-sown crops such as rice, cotton, soybeans, corn and pulses, which are normally harvested from mid-September onwards.

Crop failures can lead to food inflation, but the rains can also increase soil moisture, benefiting the cultivation of winter-sown crops such as wheat, rapeseed and chickpeas.

India, the world’s second-largest producer of wheat, sugar and rice, has imposed various restrictions on the export of these agricultural products. Any losses due to excessive rainfall could prompt New Delhi to extend these restrictions further.

After receiving 9% more rainfall in July, India received 15.3% more rainfall than average in August. The northwest and central parts of the country were hit by heavy rains, leading to flooding in some states.

Since the start of the monsoon season on June 1, the country has recorded 6.9% more rainfall than average.

The lifeblood of a nearly $3.5 trillion economy, the monsoon brings nearly 70 percent of the rain India needs to irrigate agriculture and recharge reservoirs and aquifers. Without irrigation, nearly half of the country’s arable land depends on the rains, which typically fall between June and September.

Generally, the monsoon begins to retreat from mid-September in the northwestern state of Rajasthan and ends across the country by mid-October.

However, the forecast for September suggests that the withdrawal could be delayed this year.

“The forecast for September suggests that Rajasthan and Gujarat will receive heavy rains from around September 15. However, these days, the rainfall is getting delayed,” Mohapatra said.

By mid-September, the summer-sown crops are ready for harvest and rains during this time could damage the mature plants, said a Mumbai-based trader with a global trading house.

(Reporting by Rajendra Jadhav; Editing by Gareth Jones)