Kharif Sowing Falls 1.82% Below Last Year's Level by Amit Gupta, Kedia Advisory
India's Kharif sowing reached 967.92 lakh hectares as of 7 August 2026, down 17.96 lakh hectares, or 1.82%, from 985.89 lakh hectares a year earlier. Lower acreage in rice, tur, moong, maize, coarse cereals and cotton is likely to provide underlying support to agricultural commodity prices by raising production concerns. However, oilseed sowing improved by 5.19 lakh hectares, led by groundnut, sesamum and sunflower. Soybean acreage also edged higher to 119.92 lakh hectares. Urad, sunflower and other oilseeds recorded strong percentage gains, while castor and nigerseed remained lower. Overall, sowing trends remain mixed across major Kharif crops.
Key Highlights
* Total Kharif sowing stood at 967.92 lakh hectares, down 17.96 lakh hectares or 1.82% year-on-year.
* Rice acreage declined 4.41% to 344.78 lakh hectares, remaining below last year's coverage.
* Total pulses sowing fell 1.84%, with tur and moong acreage declining year-on-year.
* Total oilseeds acreage increased 5.19 lakh hectares, or 2.97%, led by groundnut and sesamum.
* Soybean sowing reached 119.92 lakh hectares, marginally higher by 0.22% from last year.
Agricultural commodity prices are likely to remain supported as India's overall Kharif sowing continues to trail last year's level. Lower acreage in major crops such as rice, pulses, maize and coarse cereals could raise concerns over production prospects, particularly if weather conditions become less favourable during the remaining crop development period. However, improving oilseed acreage may provide some relief to the supply outlook in edible oils and oilseed markets.
According to the Ministry of Agriculture & Farmers Welfare, total Kharif sowing reached 967.92 lakh hectares as of 7 August 2026, compared with 985.89 lakh hectares during the corresponding period last year. This represents a decline of 17.96 lakh hectares, or 1.82%. Rice acreage stood at 344.78 lakh hectares, down 15.90 lakh hectares or 4.41% year-on-year. Total pulses acreage declined 1.95 lakh hectares, or 1.84%, to 103.78 lakh hectares.
Coarse cereal acreage also remained below last year's level, with Shree Anna & Coarse Cereals declining 4.71 lakh hectares, or 2.72%, to 168.50 lakh hectares. Maize sowing fell 3.84%, while bajra and ragi also recorded lower acreage.
In contrast, oilseed sowing showed encouraging progress. Total oilseeds covered 180.20 lakh hectares, up 5.19 lakh hectares, or 2.97%. Groundnut acreage rose 8.61%, while sesamum increased 16.94% and sunflower surged 72.91%. Soybean acreage also edged higher to 119.92 lakh hectares, up 0.22%.
Overall, lower Kharif acreage in key food crops remains supportive for prices, while stronger oilseed sowing could moderate supply concerns across edible oil markets.
Above views are of the author and not of the website kindly read disclaimer
