Earlier than usual
\n NEW DELHI
\nCrop-nourishing monsoon rains are likely to reach Kerala state on India\u2019s southern tip on May 27, five days ahead of the usual time, the country\u2019s weather office said on Friday.
\n\u201cThis year, the onset of southwest monsoon over Kerala is likely to be earlier than normal date of onset,\u201d the state-run India Meteorological Department said in a statement.
\nNearly half of India\u2019s farmland has no irrigation and depends on annual June-September rains to grow crops such as rice, corn, cane, cotton and soybeans.
\nIndia\u2019s weather office said last month the country was expected to get average monsoon rains this year, raising expectations of higher farm output, which is central to the country\u2019s economy.
\nNew Delhi defines average, or normal, rainfall as ranging between 96% and 104% of a 50-year average of 87 cm (35 inches)for the four-month season beginning in June.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
Earlier than usual NEW DELHI Crop-nourishing monsoon rains are likely to reach Kerala state on India\u2019s southern tip on May 27, five days ahead of the usual time, the country\u2019s weather office said on Friday. \u201cThis year, the onset of southwest monsoon over Kerala is likely to be earlier than normal date of onset,\u201d the […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[6],"tags":[],"class_list":{"0":"post-260478","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","6":"category-world"},"yoast_head":"\n