Kharif Sowing Declines as Pulse and Cereal Acreage Shrinks by Amit Gupta, Kedia Advisory
India's Kharif sowing reached 826.19 lakh hectares as of 24 July 2026, down 38.82 lakh hectares from 865.01 lakh hectares during the same period last year. The sharpest decline was recorded in Shree Anna & Coarse Cereals (-19.28 lakh ha), followed by Pulses (-6.90 lakh ha), Rice (-6.19 lakh ha), Oilseeds (-3.45 lakh ha) and Cotton (-3.99 lakh ha). Sugarcane and Jute & Mesta remained the only categories showing marginal year-on-year increases. Lower acreage across major crops may support agricultural commodity prices if weather conditions and sowing progress fail to improve over the coming weeks.
Key Highlights
• Total Kharif sowing declined 38.82 lakh hectares year-on-year to 826.19 lakh hectares.
• Coarse cereals recorded the largest acreage decline, falling 19.28 lakh hectares from last year.
• Pulse sowing dropped 6.90 lakh hectares, led by lower acreage in Arhar and Moongbean.
• Rice acreage declined 6.19 lakh hectares, with lower sowing across several major producing states.
• Sugarcane and Jute & Mesta were the only crop groups reporting year-on-year acreage gains.
Agricultural commodity prices are expected to remain supported after the latest Kharif sowing data showed a notable decline in acreage across several key crops. Lower planted area generally raises concerns over future production, encouraging buying interest in crops such as pulses, rice, oilseeds and coarse cereals. If adverse weather conditions continue or sowing fails to recover meaningfully, market participants may anticipate tighter supplies during the upcoming marketing season, providing further support to prices.
According to the Ministry of Agriculture, total Kharif sowing stood at 826.19 lakh hectares as of 24 July 2026, compared with 865.01 lakh hectares during the corresponding period last year, reflecting a decline of 38.82 lakh hectares. Among major crop groups, Shree Anna & Coarse Cereals recorded the steepest fall of 19.28 lakh hectares, while Pulses declined by 6.90 lakh hectares, Rice by 6.19 lakh hectares, Oilseeds by 3.45 lakh hectares, and Cotton by 3.99 lakh hectares. In contrast, Sugarcane and Jute & Mesta registered marginal increases of 0.86 lakh hectares and 0.13 lakh hectares, respectively.
Within pulses, acreage declined across major crops including Arhar, Moongbean and Mothbean, although Urdbean showed a modest increase. Oilseed sowing weakened mainly due to lower soybean and groundnut acreage, while maize and bajra accounted for a significant portion of the decline in coarse cereals. Rice sowing also remained below last year's level across several key producing states, reflecting uneven monsoon progress during the season.
The latest acreage data indicates tighter crop coverage than last year, keeping agricultural commodity prices supported unless favourable monsoon conditions significantly improve sowing progress in coming weeks.
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