According to the news item, Monsoon rains in India this year have been______below long-term averages.

India is bracing for a drought in parts of the country, as monsoon rains continue to be scant.
     (4)Monsoon rains, which irrigate more than half of India’s farms, have been deficient by 20%. Some key food-producing regions have fared worse, not even getting half the normal rains. Farmers are staring at parched fields in Gujarat and Maharashtra and in the southern states of Andhra Pradesh and Karnataka. These are top producers of cotton, oilseeds and sugar, all crops sown in the summer season. Prime Minister Manmohan Singh has said the government is ready to address the situation.
     (5)Farmers are being given high yielding seeds to replant their fields. The government has also said it will review its export rules for farm foods next month. India is the world’s second largest producer of wheat, rice and sugar. Lower production could prompt a ban on exports.