Early monsoon lifts crop outlook

LANDING EIGHT DAYS BEFORE SCHEDULE, THIS IS THE EARLIEST ONSET OR RAINS IN 16 YEARS

- BY STEPHEN N. R.

The southwest monsoon made landfall in Kerala on Saturday — eight days ahead of schedule — marking its earliest onset in India since 2009, the India Meteorological Department (IMD) said.

The early arrival has injected optimism into India's agricultural sector, buoying hopes for a strong crop season and the potential lifting of curbs on farm exports.

The monsoon's advance comes after above-normal pre-monsoon showers and is expected to accelerate agricultural activity across key farming states.

This year's early onset is only the second time in over a decade the rains have reached the mainland before June 1.

Above-average rainfall

The IMD has also forecast above-average rainfall for the June-September season, a critical period that waters more than half of India's farmland.

"Monsoon onset took place on 24th May, much ahead of the normal date of June 1. This is one of the earliest onsets in recent years," Neetha K. Gopal, a scientist at IMD told Bloomberg news.

The 2025 onset is a day behind the May-23 arrival in 2009.