Will forecast likely El Nino effect on monsoon in April: Pawar

But says impact unlikely to be as severe as 2009

The weather office will give its outlook on the likely impact of El Nino on the monsoon in mid-April, but the impact of the weather pattern is unlikely to be as severe as 2009, Farm Minister Sharad Pawar told reporters on Wednesday.

In 2009, the worst drought in nearly four decades ravaged farms in India, one of the world's leading producers of an array of farm commodities, forcing the country to import large quantities of sugar and hoisting global prices to a record high.

Indian farmers depend heavily on the annual June-September monsoon rains, as 55% of farmland does not have irrigation facilities.

Australia's Bureau of Meteorology and the US Climate Prediction Center have warned of increased chances of the return of the El Nino weather pattern that can trigger drought, hitting production of key foods such as rice, wheat and sugar.