Kharif Sowing Gap Narrows as Farmers Catch Up Across India

India’s Kharif sowing season has recovered from its slow start, with farmers making up much of the acreage gap recorded earlier in the monsoon. By early August, the overall Kharif sowing deficit had fallen below 2 percent, with coverage reaching nearly 88 percent of the normal area.

The recovery follows a difficult start to the season. Government data showed that by July 24, farmers had planted 826.19 lakh hectares against 865.01 lakh hectares during the same period in 2025. The gap was about 38.82 lakh hectares at that stage.

Farmers increase planting as monsoon improves

The monsoon played an important role in the recovery. Rainfall improved across several farming regions during July, allowing farmers to continue planting crops that had been delayed by earlier rainfall shortages.

Rice acreage stood at 234.43 lakh hectares by July 24, compared with 240.62 lakh hectares a year earlier. Pulses covered 84.57 lakh hectares against 91.46 lakh hectares in 2025. Oilseeds reached 163.54 lakh hectares compared with 167 lakh hectares last year.

Some crops showed smaller gaps than others. Sugarcane acreage was actually higher than last year at 57.58 lakh hectares compared with 56.72 lakh hectares. Jute and mesta also remained slightly ahead of the previous year’s area.

The situation was different for cotton. Farmers had planted 98.72 lakh hectares by July 24, compared with 102.71 lakh hectares during the same period in 2025. The difference stood at nearly four lakh hectares.

Pulses and oilseeds remain important

The sowing pattern is important because pulses and oilseeds remain key crops for India’s food and farm economy. The government has been encouraging farmers to diversify towards these crops as part of efforts to increase domestic production.

Among pulses, urdbean was one of the few crops with higher acreage than the previous year by July 24. It covered 18.67 lakh hectares against 17.27 lakh hectares in 2025. Arhar, moongbean and mothbean remained below their corresponding areas from last year.

Oilseed planting also remained below last year’s level. Soybean, India’s major Kharif oilseed, covered 113.65 lakh hectares by July 24, compared with 117.24 lakh hectares in 2025. Groundnut acreage was 40.20 lakh hectares compared with 40.77 lakh hectares a year earlier.

Coarse cereals also recorded a gap. Total acreage under Shri Anna and other coarse cereals stood at 142.21 lakh hectares, down from 161.49 lakh hectares in 2025. Maize covered 77.79 lakh hectares compared with 86.15 lakh hectares a year earlier.

The monsoon will remain important for the final acreage

The recovery in sowing does not mean all regions have returned to normal. Rainfall has remained uneven, and the final acreage will depend on how the monsoon behaves through the remaining planting period.

India’s weather department had forecast below-average rainfall for August, with rainfall expected to remain below 94 percent of the long-period average. The outlook could affect crops that still require adequate moisture during their growth stages.

The government has also been preparing for such variations. At the National Kharif Conference, the Agriculture Ministry said states should prepare agriculture plans based on their local agro-climatic conditions, with attention to seeds, irrigation, crop insurance and credit.

For farmers, the latest sowing figures show a mixed picture. The overall gap has narrowed sharply, but major crops such as rice, pulses, soybean, maize and cotton are still below last year’s acreage in the available government data.

The final Kharif picture will depend on both rainfall and crop conditions in the coming weeks. The next challenge will be to protect the crops already planted from dry spells, excessive rain and other weather-related risks.