Kharif Sowing Crosses 1121 Lakh Hectares, Rice and Maize Rise While Oilseeds Decline
India’s Kharif sowing for 2025 reached 1,121.46 lakh hectares, surpassing last year’s 1,114.95 lakh. Rice led at 441.58 lakh ha, while pulses and coarse cereals, especially maize, also grew. Oilseeds fell to 190.13 lakh ha, soybean down 9.1 lakh ha. Sugarcane rose, cotton declined, reflecting shifting cropping trends.
India’s Kharif crop sowing has surpassed 1121 lakh hectares this season, marking a steady increase over the previous year, according to data released by the Ministry of Agriculture and Farmers Welfare. As of October 3, 2025, the total area sown stood at 1121.46 lakh hectares, compared to 1114.95 lakh hectares during the same period in 2024.
Rice continues to dominate Kharif cropping, with acreage rising to 441.58 lakh hectares, up from 435.68 lakh hectares last year. Pulses also recorded moderate growth, reaching 120.41 lakh hectares, an increase of 1.37 lakh hectares over 2024. Notably, the area under Urad (black gram) registered a 6.5% increase, indicating a positive trend in legume cultivation.
Among coarse cereals, sowing expanded significantly to 194.67 lakh hectares, up from 183.54 lakh hectares in 2024. Maize emerged as the key driver of this growth, recording a sharp 12.6% rise to 94.95 lakh hectares, compared to 84.30 lakh hectares last year. The expansion in maize and millet acreage aligns with the government’s continued push to promote nutri-cereals for better food security and nutrition.
However, the oilseed sector faced setbacks this season, with the total sown area falling to 190.13 lakh hectares from 200.75 lakh hectares last year. Soybean acreage dropped by 9.10 lakh hectares, reflecting challenges such as uneven rainfall and price fluctuations that have influenced farmer choices.
Sugarcane cultivation, on the other hand, maintained a positive trajectory, with the area under cultivation increasing to 59.07 lakh hectares from 57.22 lakh hectares in 2024. Meanwhile, cotton acreage declined to 110.03 lakh hectares, down from 112.97 lakh hectares last year, suggesting a possible shift in cropping preferences in some regions.
These trends highlight the changing dynamics of India’s agricultural landscape, shaped by market prices, climatic conditions, and government initiatives encouraging diversification and sustainability in crop production.
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Source : Krishi Jagran
