Kharif Crop Area Expands by 28 Lakh Hectares

22-Jul-2025 01:27 PM

New Delhi. Due to good monsoon rains across various states, there has been notable progress in the sowing area of Kharif crops at the national level. According to official data, the total area under Kharif crops has reached 708.31 lakh hectares, which is 27.93 lakh hectares more than last year's 680.38 lakh hectares. The five-year average area for Kharif crops is estimated at 1096.65 lakh hectares.

Compared to the previous season, paddy cultivation has increased significantly from 157.21 lakh hectares to 176.68 lakh hectares. The sowing area of pulses has also risen from 80.13 lakh hectares to 81.98 lakh hectares, and coarse cereals have grown from 117.66 lakh hectares to 133.65 lakh hectares. However, the area under oilseed crops has declined from 162.80 lakh hectares to 156.76 lakh hectares.

In cash and industrial crops, the sugarcane area rose slightly from 54.88 lakh hectares to 55.16 lakh hectares, while the cotton area declined from 102.65 lakh hectares to 98.55 lakh hectares. There has also been a minor reduction in the area under jute and mesta.

Among pulses, the sowing of tur and urad is still behind, though the area of moong and moth has increased significantly. In coarse cereals, maize and millet have seen good growth, jowar has improved slightly, but ragi and small millets have been sown in less area. This may improve in the coming weeks.

In oilseeds, groundnut area has improved from 37.16 lakh hectares to 38.01 lakh hectares, with Gujarat making the largest contribution. However, soybean area has declined by 7.29 lakh hectares—from 118.96 to 111.67 lakh hectares—due to weak market prices and large-scale imports of cheap soybean oil. Sesame cultivation has increased slightly, while sunflower remains nearly unchanged from last year.

The active sowing of Kharif crops is expected to continue through the rest of July and into August.