Southwest monsoon rolls into Andaman and Nicobar region, two days in advance

Mint

13-05-2025

The Southwest monsoon advanced into some parts of south Bay of Bengal, south Andaman Sea, Nicobar Islands and some parts of north Andaman Sea on Tuesday, two days ahead of schedule, Mrutyunjay Mohapatra, director general of India Meterological Department (), said.
The normal date for the advancement of monsoon over the Andaman region is 15 May. The southwest monsoon is progressing as expected and is crucial to India's agrarian economy, as it delivers nearly 70% of the country' annual rainfall. Also, 51% of the country's net sowing area is dependent on monsoon rains. As per the ministry of agriculture & farmers' welfare data, the net sown area was 141 million hectares in 2021-22.
Also read: Cyclone 'Shakti': IMD says southwest monsoon advances, 'cyclonic circulation lay over Andaman Sea'
According to Mohapatra, with the current development, monsoon rains are expected to hit Kerala on 27 May, five days earlier than usual, as predicted earlier. Last year, the monsoon reached the coast of Kerala on 30 May. Also, according to IMD, conditions are favourable for further advance of southwest monsoon over some parts of south Arabian Sea, Maldives & Comorin area, some more parts of south Bay of Bengal, entire Andaman & Nicobar Islands, remaining parts of Andaman Sea, and some parts of central Bay of Bengal during the next 3-4 days.
The expected arrival of monsoon this year on 27 May, the earliest in 6 years, has raised hopes for bumper harvests of Kharif crops such as rice, maize, cotton, soybean and other oilseeds, say agriculture experts. The early rains would ensure adequate soil moisture, which improves seed germination and plant growth, leading to better crop yields.
Plentiful rains will boost rural sentiment and increases agricultural income. 'A lot depends on how monsoon progresses and its spread across the country. If it is evenly spread, then it will definitely boost the area under cultivation," said S.S. Johal, agriculture economist.
Also read: Early monsoon in India sparks hopes for bumper harvests, easing inflation
"If the monsoon is going to strike early, that means farmers will go for sowing early. So, the availability of seeds and fertilizers will have to be ensure accordingly," said Anand Vishwakarma, project coordinator, All India Coordinated Research Project (AICRP) on Sesame and Niger, Jabalpur.
However, if the monsoon stalls, or there is an uneven distribution of rains, it would hurt kharif crops, he added.
Additionally, early rains reduce the dependence on irrigation, helping farmers save on the costs of diesel and electricity. This is especially beneficial for small and marginal farmers who often struggle with access to irrigation.
Further, an early monsoon can also replenish water levels in reservoirs, and groundwater sources, supporting not only agriculture but also drinking water supplies and hydroelectric power generation.
"A good start to the monsoon boosts area under cultivation, which can further boost the labour market, rental market and input sales such as seed and fertilisers. Also, if monsoon is early, then farmers get enough time to plan and execute things," said Vijay Sardana, a farm commodity expert.
Also read: Rains lash parts of Delhi, brings respite from scorching heat; IMD issues yellow alert for north India, national capital
Early monsoon in India brings several significant benefits to agriculture, which is a primary livelihood for an around 55% of the population.
On 15 April, IMD said that India is expected to receive an above-normal monsoon from June to September this year. The southwest monsoon seasonal rainfall over the country as a whole during 2025 is most likely to be above normal (>104% of the Long Period Average (LPA)). In a separate update, private forecaster Skymet on 9 April said the country will likely receive normal monsoon rain in 2025 at 103% (give or take 5%) of the long-period average (LPA) of 868.6mm for June to September. The spread of normal monsoon is 96-104% of LPA.
Buoyed by an above-normal monsoon forecast, the Centre has set a record foodgrain production target of 354.64 million tonnes for the crop year 2025-26. This new record level is 3.8% or 13 million tonnes more than the 341.55 mt foodgrain production recorded in 2024-25.