India kharif crop sowing falls 1.6% amid rice decline

India’s total kharif crop sowing area has declined by 1.60 per cent, falling to 1,086.31 lakh hectares as of September 4, compared to 1,104.00 lakh hectares during the same period last year. According to data from the Ministry of Agriculture and Farmers Welfare, the overall reduction was primarily driven by a significant drop in rice coverage, which fell by 3.74 per cent to 421.82 lakh hectares. Major reductions in rice were reported in states including Karnataka, Telangana, Uttar Pradesh, Andhra Pradesh, Madhya Pradesh, Tamil Nadu, Jharkhand, and Maharashtra.

This decline was partially offset by an increase in pulses cultivation, which rose by 1.60 per cent to 117.13 lakh hectares. This growth was largely supported by a substantial increase in urad acreage. Other crop trends included a 0.63 per cent decrease in cotton and a 0.56 per cent dip in oilseeds. While sugarcane acreage saw a marginal year-on-year decline of 0.69 per cent, it remained above the long-period average. Additionally, jute and mesta saw an increase of 1.68 per cent.