InfoSAWIT, MUMBAI – The monsoon rains have arrived early on the coast of Kerala, India, on Saturday (May 25), eight days ahead of schedule. This marks the earliest arrival in 16 years, bringing hopes for abundant harvests and relief from the exhausting heatwave.
The India Meteorological Department (IMD) confirmed that the southwest monsoon officially began on May 24, the earliest onset since May 23, 2009. The monsoon rains are crucial for India's $4 trillion economy, supplying nearly 70% of the water needed for agriculture and replenishing aquifers and reservoirs.
Approximately half of India's agricultural land lacks irrigation systems and heavily relies on annual rainfall occurring between June and September. This rainfall enables the planting of essential commodities such as rice, corn, cotton, soybeans, and sugarcane.
The IMD reported that monsoon rains have now covered Kerala, parts of Tamil Nadu and Karnataka, as well as the northeastern state of Mizoram. In the next two to three days, conditions are expected to support the expansion of rainfall to Goa, Maharashtra, Andhra Pradesh, other northeastern states, West Bengal, and the remaining areas of Karnataka and Tamil Nadu.
Ashwini Bansod, Vice President of Commodity Research at Phillip Capital India, stated that the abundant pre-monsoon rainfall and the early arrival of the monsoon could help farmers, especially in the southern and central regions, to start planting earlier than usual.
"Sufficient soil moisture and early planting could potentially increase yields," Bansod said, as reported by InfoSAWIT from Reuters on Friday (May 30, 2025).
Last year, the monsoon reached Kerala on May 30, and the total summer rainfall was the highest since 2020, aiding recovery from the drought that affected India in 2023.
The IMD has also projected that the 2025 monsoon season will be above average for the second consecutive year. According to the IMD's definition, normal rainfall ranges from 96% to 104% of the average over the past 50 years, which is 87 cm during the four-month monsoon season.
The early arrival of the monsoon this year adds optimism for India's agricultural sector, which is the backbone of livelihoods for hundreds of millions and a key pillar of the country's food security. (T2)
