Poor monsoon: Farmers worried as cotton yield may be hit this year

Farmers keep their fingers crossed, rainfall in the July - August period crucial for plant growth

Even as farmers seem inclined to bring more area under cotton this year, they fear a decline in yield due to deficient rainfall in major growing areas during the last three weeks.

The India Meteorological Department (IMD) forecast this year's monsoon — like last year — to be normal. But, despite being a normal monsoon by the long-period average (LPA), the distribution remained a worry last year. While the middle-, northern- and eastern parts of India received above-normal rainfall, the western and southern parts remained degicient last year. Experts have started fearing a repeat of last year, with reports of