Kharif shortfall 20%, says Pranab

New Delhi

Aug. 27: The finance minister, Mr Pranab Mukherjee, said on Thursday there will be a 15-20 per cent shortfall in the country’s kharif crop due to the deficient monsoon.
“Now drought is there. The exact impact on the kharif crop will be known only when availability starts. But from the nature of sowing we can easily estimate there is the likelihood of a 15-20 per cent shortfall,” Mr Mukherjee told businessmen during an interaction at the Ficci. The finance minister said the monsoon rainfall had fallen short by 26 per cent. “Some 252 districts in 10 states have been declared drought-affected,” he added.
The minister appealed to people not to panic as that would help no one. “I was just making a simple calculation: if all households in the country stored half a kilo cereals, there will cha-os in the country,” he said.
Source :: DC