Poor rains in June may affect pulses output: Pawar

Poor monsoon rainfall in June in key growing areas could affect pulses output in 2012/13 though rice production is unlikely to be affected, Agriculture Minister Sharad Pawar told reporters on Friday.

The country received 30 percent less rains than normal since the beginning of the monsoon season on June 1.

Monsoon rains are crucial for farm output and economic growth, as about half of India's arable land is rain-fed.

The agriculture sector accounts for about 15 percent of a nearly $2 trillion economy, Asia's third-biggest, where good harvests are crucial to maintain rural incomes and thereby keep up the demand for gold and consumer goods.