India's annual monsoon rains have revived over the last two days in some key oilseed-growing regions after a week-long lull, a senior weather official told Reuters on Monday.

    The official at India's national meteorological office, who could not be named, said rains in the first 25 days of June had been 26 percent above the long-term average, down from the first half of the month.

    "Strong winds have helped revive the monsoon," the official said of conditions in some western and southern states where oilseeds are important crops.

    Farmers began planting soybean, groundnut and other summer-sown crops in early June, and officials had said rains were about 40 percent above the average in the first two weeks of the month.

    After a dry spell and subdued monsoon activity over the western state of Maharashtra and southern state of Karnataka, the rains have revived and have been heavy, the official said.

    The monsoon is vital for India's millions of farmers due to limited irrigation, and is also an important driver of growth in the overall economy.

    India is the world's biggest vegetable oil importer after China, and is keen to raise production of all crops at a time when rising prices of foods have helped push inflation to 13-year highs. (July 1)

Editor Kong Yan