Area of Kharif crops in Gujarat is much behind last year

10-Jun-2025 11:19 AM

Ahmedabad. Sowing of Kharif crops has begun in Gujarat, a key agricultural state in western India, but the pace remains slow. This is due to a combination of insufficient rainfall and high temperatures. As a result, farmers are currently able to sow Kharif crops mainly in irrigated areas.

According to the latest weekly data from the state agriculture department, as of June 9 this year, the total sown area of Kharif crops in Gujarat stood at just 77 thousand hectares—54 thousand hectares less than the 1.31 lakh hectares recorded during the same period last year.

The area under coarse cereals has declined significantly. The sown area of Nanaji crops fell from 269 hectares last year to 103 hectares this year. No sowing of millet has been reported yet, and the area under paddy is only 7 hectares. The area under jowar (sorghum) has dropped from 168 hectares to 41 hectares, and maize from 101 hectares to 46 hectares. Farmers are still waiting for the monsoon to arrive.

Sowing of pulses is progressing better. The total area has increased from 65 hectares last year to 111 hectares this year. Within this category, the area under tuvar (pigeon pea) rose slightly from 59 to 60 hectares, moong from 6 to 45 hectares, and urad has been sown on 6 hectares.

Groundnut remains the major crop, although its area has declined from 37,259 hectares to 31,110 hectares. Sowing of sesame, castor, and soybean has also been reported.

In the industrial crops category, the area under cotton has sharply declined from 76,863 hectares last year to 34,011 hectares this year. There was a significant drop in cotton sowing last year as well. Although Kharif sowing has just begun and the total sown area is expected to increase in the coming weeks, the initial figures suggest that farmers may show less interest in cotton, soybean, sorghum, and millet this year. Instead, they seem more inclined towards maize, pigeon pea, black gram, castor, groundnut, and sesame. Paddy sowing is expected to remain at normal levels.