INDIA (8 June)
The June-September monsoon is crucial to India’s economic performance as farm production depends heavily on the timely arrival and distribution of rains. The monsoon rains which account for 80 percent of the annual rainfall, normally sets in over the southern state of Kerala by 1 June. This year the monsoon was delayed for about a week and eastern India has suffered a three-week deadly heat wave which has killed about 1 400 people.
India was the world’s second largest rice exporter in 2002/03 exporting approximately 4 million tonnes, and is expected to export another 3 million tonnes in 2003/04.