Paddy acreage declined to 379.07 lakh hectares this kharif season from 393.44 lakh hectares last year amid deficient rainfall.
Pulses and oilseeds remained close to last year’s levels, while coarse cereals and cotton also recorded lower acreage.
Highlights
- Paddy sowing declined 3.65% to 379.07 lakh hectares.
- Karnataka recorded the biggest decline of 2.86 lakh hectares.
- Overall monsoon rainfall remained 12% below normal till August 12.
- Pulses acreage stood at 108.14 lakh hectares, nearly unchanged from last year.
- Oilseeds covered 184.46 lakh hectares against 185.36 lakh hectares last year.
- Cotton and coarse cereals also recorded lower sowing compared with 2025.
Story
Paddy sowing during the ongoing kharif season has declined by 3.65% compared with last year as deficient monsoon rainfall affected cultivation in several major producing states.
According to the latest Agriculture Ministry data, paddy acreage stood at 379.07 lakh hectares as of August 14, compared with 393.44 lakh hectares during the corresponding period last year. This represents a decline of about 14.37 lakh hectares.
Sowing of kharif crops generally gains momentum after the southwest monsoon arrives in June. However, El Nino conditions and uneven rainfall have affected the pace of sowing this season.
Karnataka Sees Biggest Drop
Among states, Karnataka recorded the largest decline in paddy acreage at 2.86 lakh hectares. It was followed by Jharkhand with a decline of 2.26 lakh hectares and Maharashtra with 2.25 lakh hectares.
Paddy coverage was also lower in Odisha by 2.09 lakh hectares, Madhya Pradesh by 1.64 lakh hectares, Telangana by 1.49 lakh hectares and Andhra Pradesh by 1.14 lakh hectares.
Pulses and Oilseeds Remain Stable
Unlike paddy, sowing of pulses remained broadly stable. Total pulses acreage stood at 108.14 lakh hectares, marginally lower than 108.49 lakh hectares a year ago.
Arhar acreage fell to 40.31 lakh hectares from 42.01 lakh hectares, while moong coverage declined to 32.05 lakh hectares from 33.42 lakh hectares. Urad acreage, however, increased to 23.52 lakh hectares from 20.79 lakh hectares.
Oilseeds sowing also remained close to last year’s level at 184.46 lakh hectares, compared with 185.36 lakh hectares in the year-ago period.
Cotton, Coarse Cereals Acreage Falls
Coarse cereals covered 172.96 lakh hectares, down from 177.13 lakh hectares last year. Sugarcane acreage slipped marginally to 58.31 lakh hectares from 58.62 lakh hectares, while cotton acreage declined to 107.30 lakh hectares from 108.26 lakh hectares.
Jute and mesta acreage increased slightly to 6.34 lakh hectares from 6.23 lakh hectares.
Monsoon Deficit at 12%
According to India Meteorological Department data, the overall monsoon rainfall deficit stood at 12% till August 12. The east and northeast recorded the highest shortfall of 26%, followed by a 19% deficit in the southern peninsula and 11% in northwest India.
