At 32.76 lakh hectares, Punjab’s paddy area hits all-time high
Punjab’s paddy area has reached a record 32.76 lakh hectares (81 lakh acres) in the 2026 kharif season, with Basmati and non-Basmati varieties driving growth. Rice now covers over 90% of the state’s kharif area, despite efforts to promote crop diversification and conserve groundwater.
Punjab’s paddy area has touched an all-time high of 32.76 lakh hectares (around 81 lakh acres) this kharif season, with both Basmati and non-Basmati rice contributing to the increase, according to data compiled by the Punjab Agriculture Department. The rise comes despite years of government efforts to diversify the state’s paddy-dominated cropping pattern and reduce pressure on its rapidly depleting groundwater.
Punjab has around 36 lakh hectares under cultivation during the kharif season, which means that more than 90 per cent of the state’s kharif area is now under rice, when both Basmati and non-Basmati varieties are taken together.
The total area under paddy stood at 31.79 lakh hectares in 2023-24 and it rose to 32.43 lakh hectares in 2024-25. It has reached 32.76 lakh hectares this season, the highest in the state’s recorded history.
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Source : The Indian Express
