The Department of Agriculture and Farmers’ Welfare has released the progress report of Kharif crop sowing up to 26th September 2025. According to the report, the total area sown under Kharif crops across the country this year stands at 1120.73 lakh hectares, showing an increase of 7.01 lakh hectares compared to the previous year.
The report highlights a significant rise in paddy (rice) cultivation. During 2025-26, the area under rice was 441.58 lakh hectares, up from 435.68 lakh hectares in the previous year, marking an increase of 5.91 lakh hectares.
Pulses also saw a slight increase, with sowing done over 119.85 lakh hectares, which is 0.90 lakh hectares more than last year. Among major pulses, tur (arhar) covered 46.31 lakh hectares, urad 34.84 lakh hectares, and moong 0.67 lakh hectares. Notably, horse gram cultivation increased to 24.29 lakh hectares.
The coarse cereals sector recorded good growth, with 194.67 lakh hectares sown this year, 12.01 lakh hectares more than last year. Increases were seen in ragi, maize, and other minor millets, with maize covering 5.39 lakh hectares and other small cereals 94.95 lakh hectares.
However, there was a slight decline in oilseeds. The total area under oilseeds during 2025-26 was 190.01 lakh hectares, down by 10.52 lakh hectares compared to the previous year. The decrease was mainly in sesamum and soybean, while castor seed and niger seed recorded marginal increases.
The area under sugarcane increased to 59.07 lakh hectares, up from 57.22 lakh hectares last year. On the other hand, jute and mesta sowing covered 5.56 lakh hectares, slightly lower by 0.18 lakh hectares.
Cotton cultivation saw a minor decline, with sowing at 109.98 lakh hectares, compared to 112.95 lakh hectares in the previous year.
Overall, the Kharif season 2025-26 shows a positive trend in crop sowing across India. The total sown area has reached 1120.73 lakh hectares, compared to 1113.72 lakh hectares last year. Experts attribute this growth to favorable monsoon conditions, government initiatives, and proactive participation by farmers.
These figures indicate that India’s agricultural sector has demonstrated stability and strong production potential during the Kharif season. This growth is expected to further strengthen food security and the agricultural economy in the coming months.
By
