Farmers get ready as Bangladesh sees early monsoon start

DHAKA, May 28 (Reuters) Heavy rain sweeping across Bangladesh over the past two days has raised hopes for an early monsoon that weather experts say will boost agriculture.

''The country is ready to welcome the monsoon about two weeks before the usual start in the middle of June,'' said a meteorologist in Cox's Bazar resort town today.

The resort on the Bay of Bengal and nearby areas in southeastern Bangladesh recorded 350 mm (14 inches) of rain since Friday, he said.

Neighbouring India's annual monsoon rains hit the southern Kerala coast six days ahead of schedule on Friday, raising prospects of another year of robust growth for a country where most of the population relies on agriculture. The June-September southwest monsoon is the main source of water for farming, which generates about a fifth of India's gross domestic product.

Chittagong port and half a dozen other major Bangladesh towns and vast rural areas also saw downpours, accompanied by gusting winds, suggesting ''the monsoon is at our doors,'' said another weather official in Dhaka.

Agriculture officials said farmers would now be able to get on with planting after this had been delayed for weeks because of a heatwave and lack of rain.

Officials said the Bay of Bengal was rough and water levels rose up to four feet along the coast today. Forecasters say heavy showers will continue through the week.

While an early monsoon is good for farmers, it could also bring early flooding. Floods in Bangladesh kill hundreds of people and make thousands homeless each year.

Production of Bangladesh's main foodstuff, rice, depends largely on a balanced monsoon that brings enough water but no flooding. The country grows 26 million tonnes of rice a year.

REUTERS SHB KN1333