El Niño dry-up: India’s agricultural supply chain has a vital input that’s looking very weak this year

The worst of the dry spell has hit central India and the Deccan—an agricultural heartland stretching from Rajasthan, Gujarat, Maharashtra and Karnataka states in west India and through Uttar Pradesh, Madhya Pradesh, Chhattisgarh and Telangana further inland. The region accounts for about 90% of India’s soya bean and sugarcane crop, 80% of its cotton production and 70% of its peanuts and pulses, such as lentils and chickpeas. It is also vital for fruits and vegetables, giving it an outsized impact on the prices paid in markets across the country.