A man walks across the dried bed of the Belan river on May 20. The monsoon arrived earlier than normal in India, raising hopes that output of crops like rice and oilseeds will get a boost after a brutal heat wave hit winter-sown wheat and prompted the nation to restrict exports. The Southwest monsoon has set in over Kerala three days ahead of its normal date, according to the India Meteorological Department on Sunday. The livelihood of millions of farmers in the country of about 1.4 billion people depends on rains brought by the winds from the Indian Ocean. The farm sector is the main source of income for 60% of its population and accounts for 18% of the economy. The monsoon, which waters more than half of India’s farmland, normally arrives in the southern Kerala state on June 1. The monsoon is critical to India’s farm output and […]