Monsoon Comes Early And Covers All Of India In Boost For Crops

The India Meteorological Department issued warnings for flash floods at some places in Assam, Sikkim, Uttarakhand and Meghalaya states.

(Bloomberg) -- The monsoon has covered the entire country about six days earlier than normal, according to the India Meteorological Department, boosting prospects for crops such as rice, corn and soybeans.

Heavy rains are expected this week in several states, including Punjab, Haryana, Uttar Pradesh, Bihar and Maharashtra, the weather department said in a statement. There is a risk of localized floods, water logging in low-lying areas and the closure of subways mainly in urban areas, it said.

The weather pattern, which irrigates half of the nation's farmland, started its journey from the southern state of Kerala on May 30, two days earlier than its normal onset date. After a poor start, with rains being 11% below a long-period average in June, the situation has been improving and the cumulative rainfall is now only 5% below normal. The IMD has predicted ample rains in July.

The revival bodes well for farm activities in the world's most populous country, where agriculture supports about 60% of its 1.4 billion people. A bumper harvest shapes the health of the fifth-biggest economy, keeps a lid on food inflation, which was at 8.7% in May, and provides comfort to the government to export commodities. India has restricted shipments of wheat, rice and sugar to maintain adequate local supplies.

The weather department advised farmers, especially in the northeastern states, West Bengal, Odisha, Bihar and Tamil Nadu, to drain out excess water from crop fields to avoid stagnation. It also issued warnings for flash floods at some places in Assam, Sikkim, Uttarakhand and Meghalaya states.

Sowing of monsoon crops will gather momentum in the coming days. However, crop yields would depend on the intensity and spread of rains in the crucial month of July. Any failure in the monsoon this month will not only hurt farm output, but also prevent reservoirs storing enough water for use in winter crops such as wheat and rapeseed.

Sowing had been completed on 24 million hectares of land (59 acres) as of June 28, about 33% higher than a year earlier, according to the farm ministry. The rice area was steady at 2.3 million hectares, while soybeans have been planted on 3.4 million hectares, against 0.2 million in the corresponding period of 2023.

--With assistance from Pratik Parija.

More stories like this are available on bloomberg.com