In view of a deficient monsoon, Prime Minister Manmohan Singh on Monday reviewed the crop situation in the country and directed officials to have contingency plans in place.
Singh chaired a meeting to review the monsoon situation with top officials of the India Meteorological Department and the agriculture ministry before leaving for a five-day visit to France and Egypt.
Highly placed sources said that Singh was apprised of the agricultural situation across the country and officials expected that 95 per cent of sowing operations would be completed this month.
The weather office expects monsoon to be near normal in July, which is crucial for the 235-million strong farming community.
The prime minister directed the officials to keep a close track of the situation and have contingency plans in place to meet any eventuality, the sources said.
The IMD had forecast below normal rainfall this year in June. It said the country was expected to receive 93 per cent rains of the average rainfall for the season while northwestern regions would get deficient rains.
The country as a whole has received near normal rainfall last week and 21 out of the 36 meteorological sub-divisions received normal to excess rains. In the rest 15 sub-divisions, rainfall was either deficient or scanty, the weather office said.
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