Kharif Crop Area in Gujarat Falls Short by 4.10 Lakh Hectares

28-Jul-2025 06:19 PM

Gandhinagar. Irregular and uncertain monsoon rains and uneven distribution of rains in the western state of the country- Gujarat are causing hindrance in sowing of Kharif crops.

Due to heavy rains in some districts, water has accumulated in the fields while in some other districts, lack of rain is being felt.

According to the latest data of the State Agriculture Department, till July 28 this year, the total production area of Kharif crops in Gujarat could reach only 65.56 lakh hectares, which is 4.10 lakh hectares less than the sowing area of 69.66 lakh hectares during the same period last year.

Under this, the production area of paddy and coarse grains decreased from 10.76 lakh hectare to 9.80 lakh hectare, the sowing area of pulses crops fell from 3.09 lakh hectare to 2.53 lakh hectare and the area of cotton slipped from 23.15 lakh hectare to 20.17 lakh hectare whereas the production area of oilseeds jumped from 22.90 lakh hectare to 24.26 lakh hectare and the area of sorghum increased from 42 thousand hectare to 58 thousand hectare. The sowing of Kharif crops is moving towards the final stage.

The production area of paddy fell from 6.32 lakh hectare last year to 5.77 lakh hectare this time. Similarly, among pulse crops, the sowing area of Arhar (Tuvar) decreased from 1.97 lakh hectares to 1.55 lakh hectares and the sowing area of Urad decreased from 65 thousand hectares to 51 thousand hectares,

while the area of Moong improved from 37 thousand hectares to 39 thousand hectares. Due to the soft market price, the interest of farmers in the cultivation of Tuvar decreased.

But under oilseed crops, better enthusiasm is being seen among farmers especially towards the cultivation of groundnut and castor.

As a result, in the current Kharif season, compared to last year, the production area of groundnut jumped from 18.83 lakh hectares to 20.11 lakh hectares and the area of castor increased from 78 thousand hectares to 1.30 lakh hectares,

while the sowing area of soybean decreased from 2.90 lakh hectares to 2.54 lakh hectares and the area of sesame decreased from 36 thousand hectares to 30 thousand hectares. Sowing of castor will continue in August as well.