Monsoon cheer

India must grab some of the space vacated by China

Reports that meteorological conditions are turning favourable for a normal monsoon this year have come as a silver lining amid the general sense of despondency caused by the outbreak of COVID-19. It bodes well for agriculture and other rain-dependent economic activities as also for the overall economy. Its potential gains can, in fact, be enhanced further if the time till the onset of the monsoon in June is utilised to plan and prepare for diversifying agriculture to achieve two broad objectives. First, to replace crops like cereals, which are facing a glut, with those in short supply, such as oilseeds