Pre-monsoon showers, a form of extreme weather influenced by rising temperatures, are causing produce prices to spike in parts of India, according to the Hindustan Times.
What's happening?
On May 24, Reuters reported that India's monsoon season "hit the coast of India's southernmost state of Kerala … eight days earlier than usual" for the season's earliest onset since May 2009.
According to the Times, "pre-monsoon showers have damaged onion, tomato, and several fruit crops," destabilizing market prices and disrupting supply and demand.
Reuters' initial report indicated that "an early monsoon onset will help farmers," but several reported crop failures were caused by pre-monsoon rains.
"We had planned to harvest onions in the last week of May due to labor shortages. But the sudden rain caught us off guard. Nearly 60% of my crop is lost," said Lata Bhamre, a farmer from the Nashik district.
Rupesh Suwant is another Nashik-based farmer. "I had stored onions at my farm. I didn't expect rain in May. Due to the high humidity and the early heat, around 20%-25% of the stored onions have rotted. This is the condition of most farmers in the district," he commented.
A third farmer, Satish Pawar, speculated that "if the situation continues, prices will go up," opining that the fluctuations could be favorable for some farmers whose crops were not destroyed by the earlier-than-expected rainfall.
Why are pre-monsoon rains so concerning?
Although one of the farmers thought that the early rains might enable farmers to earn more, others exemplified how volatile weather and the chaos it brings endanger their livelihood.
As the planet heats up, the number of extreme weather events rises everywhere. "Whatever was already going to happen, like droughts, floods, fires, tornadoes, hurricanes, heat waves, snowstorms, rain — all that is still going to happen," explained climate tech investor and journalist Molly Wood.
"But when it happens, it's going to be worse. Also, extreme versions of what used to be normal weather are going to happen more often."
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More tax incentives 🏦 Farmers rely on predictable weather patterns to tend to and optimize their crops, and India has a massive concentration of agricultural activity. Indian farmers have been "on edge" because of this season's volatility, and experts have placed the blame squarely on an unstable climate.
Consumers have faced massive spikes in produce prices in India because of the early monsoons. "Climate change affected supplies in [fiscal year 2025], especially for vegetables and fruits, due to erratic rainfall patterns," explained Paras Jasrai, of India Ratings and Research.
What's being done about extreme weather-induced crop failures?
The Times reported that a local official "directed officials from agriculture, animal husbandry, and revenue departments to conduct immediate crop loss assessments … and submit reports to the state government" to quantify the losses.
The broader issue is global, and the United States is grappling with similar agricultural volatility because of extreme weather.
Growing your own food is one way to offset crop fluctuations at the individual level, though it isn't an instant solution. Reducing food waste is another helpful approach, as is a more intentional approach to grocery shopping.
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