August 11, 2025

The kharif sowing season in India is buzzing with activity! Thanks to the nonstop rains since mid-June, farmers have covered over 90% of the usual 1,097 lakh hectares till now, reports the Agriculture Ministry. Isn’t nature lending a big hand? Even experts are hopeful for a normal crop yield despite some damage reported in a few states. But beware—if heavy rains continue into September, crops might face disease trouble. During the week ending August 8, sowing slowed to 63 lakh hectares from 103 lakh hectares the week before, signaling some caution ahead. Let's dig into the numbers that spice up this season. Overall kharif sowing as of August 8 stands 4% higher than last year at 995.63 lakh hectares compared to 957.15 lakh. Earlier, as of August 1, acreage was already 5.1% higher. The India Meteorological Department adds flavor with data showing monsoon rainfall was 6% above normal for June-July. Paddy, the star cereal, shines bright with 364.8 lakh hectares sown against 325.36 lakh last year—an exciting 12.1% jump! Pulses also nudged up a bit to 106.68 lakh hectares from 106.52 lakh. In the pulses mix, urad (black matpe) acreage rose 1.2% to 20.15 lakh hectares, moong (green gram) also grew 2.7% to 33.21 lakh hectares. But arhar (pigeon peas) took a small step back, down 4.7% to 40.86 lakh hectares. What about the nutri and coarse cereals? They’ve expanded by 4.5% to 178.73 lakh hectares. Maize stole the spotlight here, jumping 10.5% to 91.89 lakh hectares. However, millets such as jowar, bajra, and ragi saw slightly less land coverage in comparison to last year. On the flip side, oilseeds took a little hit, shrinking 3.7% to 175.61 lakh hectares. Soyabean, groundnut, and sunflower all dipped in area under cultivation. Cotton acreage also decreased by 3.2% to 106.96 lakh hectares. Sadly, the Agriculture Ministry hasn’t shared statewise data, so we can’t peek into regional progress yet. Sowing for sugarcane and jute has almost wrapped up. Provisional figures reveal sugarcane covers 57.31 lakh hectares, while jute spans 5.54 lakh. Talking weather, from June 1 to August 11, India got 545.6 mm of rainfall – marginally above the long period average of 543.9 mm. The east and northeast regions experienced 17% less rainfall, while South India was 1% below normal. But don’t fret! Central India (Odisha, Chhattisgarh, Madhya Pradesh, Maharashtra, Gujarat) enjoyed 4% surplus rain, and the northwest (Punjab, Haryana, Rajasthan, Uttar Pradesh) had a whopping 16% more than usual. So, the kharif season is unfolding with vibrant highs and a few caution flags. Farmers and experts will eagerly watch what September brings for the standing crops. One thing’s clear – mother nature’s rhythm remains the ultimate game-changer!

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Tags: Kharif season, Monsoon rains, Crop sowing, Agriculture ministry, Indian farming, Crop acreage,