New Delhi: India’s Kharif crop sowing for the 2025-26 season has surpassed 1,121.46 lakh hectares, exceeding the previous year’s coverage of 1,114.95 lakh hectares, according to the latest data released by the Department of Agriculture and Farmers’ Welfare. The overall increase of 6.51 lakh hectares underscores strong agricultural activity across key crop segments, particularly coarse cereals and pulses.
Millet Production to Get a Boost
Coarse cereals recorded a notable expansion, with the sown area rising to 194.67 lakh hectares, up 11.13 lakh hectares from last year’s 183.54 lakh hectares. The increase was driven largely by maize, which saw a sharp 12.6% rise in acreage to 94.95 lakh hectares compared to 84.30 lakh hectares in 2024-25. The surge in maize sowing is expected to significantly bolster millet and coarse cereal output this season, reinforcing the government’s efforts to promote nutri-cereals under the Shree Anna initiative.
Pulses See Steady Gains; Urad Area Up 6.5%
The total area under pulses rose modestly to 120.41 lakh hectares, marking a gain of 1.37 lakh hectares. Within this category, urad (black gram) saw the sharpest increase of 6.5%, with acreage expanding to 24.37 lakh hectares. Tur (pigeon pea) and kulthi also registered small gains, indicating stable sowing trends across major pulse-producing states.
Rice & Sugarcane Maintain Strong Momentum
Rice, India’s largest Kharif crop, continued its robust performance with 441.58 lakh hectares under cultivation — an increase of 5.90 lakh hectares over last year. Sugarcane sowing too witnessed an improvement, reaching 59.07 lakh hectares against 57.22 lakh hectares in 2024-25.
Oilseeds & Cotton Record Marginal Decline
In contrast, the oilseeds segment registered a decline of 10.62 lakh hectares, with soybean acreage dropping by 9.1 lakh hectares to 120.45 lakh hectares. Cotton also saw a reduction of 2.94 lakh hectares, covering 110.03 lakh hectares compared to 112.97 lakh hectares last year.
Promising Outlook for 2025-26
The expansion in area under coarse cereals and pulses indicates improved farmer sentiment and better rainfall distribution during the monsoon season. With major food crops like rice, maize, and urad posting growth in acreage, agricultural experts expect a healthy Kharif output this year, contributing positively to rural income and food security.
“A healthy nation beckons as coarse cereals’ sowing area zooms ahead,” the agriculture ministry noted in its release, highlighting the renewed emphasis on sustainable, climate-resilient crops such as millets.