Although it has said that a number of drought-affected areas in the country are expected to receive rain in the next two days, the India Meteorological Department (IMD) has put out revised rainfall estimates that indicate that India is facing its driest spell in five years. If rainfalls perform any worse, it will have a severe impact on food grain production which would lead to an increase in their prices. IMD revised its earlier estimates in light of unexpectedly low rainfall in the months of July and August and in view of the prevailing phenomenon of El Nino.

Though the IMD has reported that the rain shortfall had been particularly severe in the States of Punjab and Haryana, the finance minister had stated the bread-basket States of Punjab and Haryana were not as badly affected by the deficient rains because of its effective exploitation of groundwater sources.

 
A majority of India's farmers depend on rains as the main source of irrigation for their crops and the failing monsoons would eventually require the government to import sugar, pulses and food grains to deal with the low availability of such commodities locally. Global prices of sugar and rice have already risen as a result of reduced rice and sugar output. India is the world's second biggest producer of rice, sugar and wheat.