The South-West Monsoon has been extra generous, so far, this year. Making rapid progress and moving a week ahead of its schedule, it is likely to cover the entire country before its due date, July 15.

The Met Department has said that the country will receive 101 per cent of the long-term average rainfall in July and 96 per cent in August.

For the country as a whole, Monsoon has been 28 per cent excess since its onset over Kerala on June 1.

Director General, Met Department, Laxman Singh Rathore told reporters in New Delhi that the early onset of Monsoon has led to early sowing, particularly of coarse cereals in last year's drought-hit regions.

He said, rainfall has been good in drought-hit areas like Marathwada, Vidarbha, Madhya Maharashtra and North Interior Karnataka.