Sharp Decline of 1.93 Million Hectares in Coarse Cereal Sowing Area

27-Jul-2026 04:13 PM

New Delhi. Farmers typically tend to shift towards cultivating coarse cereals when monsoon rainfall is deficient, as these crops require less irrigation water and possess a greater capacity to withstand drought conditions. However, contrary to this trend, a massive decline in the sowing area of ​​the two major coarse cereals—maize and pearl millet (bajra)—is being observed this Kharif season.

According to official data, the cultivation area for coarse cereals has dropped by 1.93 million hectares—falling from 16.15 million hectares last year to 14.22 million hectares as of July 24. This figure is 4.04 million hectares lower than the five-year average area of ​​18.26 million hectares. Since the sowing process has reached its final stage, bridging this substantial gap in acreage will not be easy.

Compared to last year, the sowing area for pearl millet has dropped from 5.808 million hectares to 4.954 million hectares during the current Kharif season; maize cultivation area has decreased from 8.615 million hectares to 7.779 million hectares; sorghum (jowar) area has fallen from 1.245 million hectares to 0.4407 million hectares; and ragi acreage has slipped from 0.216 million hectares to 0.156 million hectares. Sowing has declined significantly in Rajasthan, the leading producer of pearl millet.