Paddy transplanting pace slow in several states

14-Jul-2026 12:03 PM

New Delhi. The pace of paddy transplanting remains sluggish in several states across the country due to a deficit in monsoon rainfall. Consequently, the total area under cultivation has declined at the national level. Data from the Union Ministry of Agriculture indicates that the total area under paddy cultivation reached 114.70 lakh hectares by July 10, 2026, during the current Kharif season;

this is 10.85 lakh hectares—or 8.63 percent—less than the 125.55 lakh hectares recorded during the same period last year. The five-year average area for paddy cultivation is estimated at 412 lakh hectares, and so far, planting has been completed on slightly more than 25 percent of this area.

Initially, the southwest monsoon was weak over eastern India, slowing down paddy transplanting in key producing states such as Bengal, Bihar, Assam, Jharkhand, and Odisha.

The pace was also unsatisfactory in Uttar Pradesh. However, there are now signs of good rainfall in these states, raising hopes for an increase in the paddy cultivation area. The monsoon's behavior is expected to remain uncertain and erratic this season.