The onset of an early monsoon may be a good sign for the beleaguered government fighting zooming inflation, but industry experts are hoping for a stable rainy season ahead to have a bumper summer rice crop.

As per an official estimate, the demand for rice in India is projected at 128 million MT for 2012 and will require a production level of 3,000 kg per hectare against the current average yield of 1,930 kg per hectare. The government has targeted production of 129 million MT of rice by 2011-12, on a growth rate of 3.7% along with other food grains.

P Chengal Reddy, secretary general of the Consortium of Indian Farmers Association (CIFA), a leading body of farmers, agreed that good monsoon guaranteed availability of water for paddy crop, as 60% of the cropped area in India is rain fed.