Pulses Coverage Rises Despite Rice Decline
India’s total kharif crop area under coverage stood at 1,086.31 lakh hectares as of September 4, 2026, according to the latest data released by the Ministry of Agriculture and Farmers Welfare. The figure remains below the corresponding level of 1,104 lakh hectares recorded during the same period last year.
The latest crop-area data presents a mixed picture of the kharif season, with a significant decline in rice acreage offset partly by higher coverage under pulses and selected crops.
Rice continued to account for the largest share of kharif acreage, with 421.82 lakh hectares reported as covered by September 4. However, this was 16.37 lakh hectares lower than the 438.19 lakh hectares recorded a year earlier.
The Agriculture Ministry attributed the decline in rice coverage largely to reductions in several major rice-growing states. Karnataka recorded a decline of 4.28 lakh hectares, followed by Telangana at 3.61 lakh hectares, Uttar Pradesh at 1.84 lakh hectares and Andhra Pradesh at 1.91 lakh hectares. Madhya Pradesh, Tamil Nadu, Jharkhand and Maharashtra also recorded lower rice coverage.
In contrast, pulses acreage showed an improvement. Total area under pulses reached 117.13 lakh hectares, up from 115.30 lakh hectares in the corresponding period last year, representing an increase of 1.84 lakh hectares.
The increase was supported by higher coverage in Uttar Pradesh, Jharkhand, Telangana, Rajasthan and Madhya Pradesh. Among individual pulses, urad recorded a particularly strong increase, with acreage rising to 25.15 lakh hectares from 22.46 lakh hectares a year earlier.
Tur acreage also increased to 45.66 lakh hectares from 44.93 lakh hectares. Moong, however, remained lower at 33.19 lakh hectares compared with 34.23 lakh hectares last year.
The increase in pulses acreage is significant for India’s food and agricultural economy because the country remains heavily dependent on pulses production as well as imports to meet domestic consumption. Higher domestic coverage could provide some support to future supplies, although final output will depend on crop conditions, rainfall and yields through the remainder of the season.
Coverage under Shri Anna and coarse cereals stood at 181.39 lakh hectares, marginally below the 182.48 lakh hectares recorded last year. Within the category, bajra and jowar acreage increased, while maize coverage declined by 2.99 lakh hectares.
Bajra coverage rose to 64.86 lakh hectares from 62.87 lakh hectares, while jowar acreage increased to 13.58 lakh hectares from 12.61 lakh hectares. Maize, on the other hand, fell to 91.09 lakh hectares from 94.08 lakh hectares.
Oilseed acreage also remained slightly below last year’s level. Total oilseed coverage stood at 191.99 lakh hectares, down from 193.06 lakh hectares, a decline of 1.07 lakh hectares.
Groundnut and soybean acreage were lower, while sunflower and sesamum coverage increased. Rajasthan and Gujarat were among the states reporting notable declines in oilseed acreage, while Uttar Pradesh and Madhya Pradesh recorded higher coverage.
Sugarcane coverage stood at 58.47 lakh hectares, marginally below the 58.87 lakh hectares reported during the corresponding period last year. The decline was primarily associated with lower acreage in Bihar and Uttarakhand, partly offset by increases in Uttar Pradesh and Haryana.
Meanwhile, jute and mesta coverage recorded a small increase to 6.34 lakh hectares, compared with 6.24 lakh hectares last year. The increase was mainly supported by higher coverage in Bihar and West Bengal.
Cotton acreage was also marginally lower. The crop covered 109.17 lakh hectares, compared with 109.87 lakh hectares during the same period last year. Rajasthan, Haryana and Punjab recorded declines, while Telangana and Gujarat saw higher cotton coverage.
Overall, the data suggests that India’s kharif sowing pattern is showing considerable variation across crops and regions. While total acreage remains below last year’s level, higher pulses coverage and increased acreage under selected coarse cereals and jute provide some positive signals.
The final agricultural outcome will depend on crop health, rainfall distribution and weather conditions during the remaining part of the growing season. For policymakers, the movement in rice, pulses and oilseed acreage will remain particularly important because these crops have a direct bearing on food availability, inflation and agricultural incomes.
With the government’s latest figures showing both gains and declines across major crops, the focus will now shift from sowing coverage to crop conditions and eventual yields as the kharif harvest approaches.
