New Delhi, August 2026: 

The total area sown under major Kharif crops in the country stood at 985.89 lakh hectares as of August 7, 2026, according to the latest data released by the Ministry of Agriculture and Farmers Welfare.

The figure is 17.96 lakh hectares lower than the 1,003.85 lakh hectares recorded during the corresponding period in 2025. The data was published by the Press Information Bureau (PIB) on August 11.

Despite the overall decline, oilseeds recorded a notable increase in acreage, while several major foodgrain crops, including rice, pulses and coarse cereals, registered lower coverage compared with the same period last year.

Rice Area Declines by Nearly 16 Lakh Hectares

Rice, one of the country's major Kharif crops, recorded an area coverage of 344.78 lakh hectares as of August 7, compared with 360.67 lakh hectares during the corresponding period in 2025.

This represents a decline of 15.90 lakh hectares. The current rice acreage is also below the normal area of 412.00 lakh hectares.

Pulses Show Mixed Trend

The total area under pulses stood at 103.78 lakh hectares, down from 105.73 lakh hectares last year, representing a decline of 1.95 lakh hectares.

Among major pulses:

  • Arhar: 37.53 lakh hectares, down by 2.61 lakh hectares.
  • Urdbean: 22.86 lakh hectares, up by 2.57 lakh hectares.
  • Moongbean: 31.37 lakh hectares, down by 1.84 lakh hectares.
  • Kulthi: 0.18 lakh hectares, virtually unchanged.
  • Mothbean: 8.80 lakh hectares, up by 0.14 lakh hectares.
  • Other pulses: 3.03 lakh hectares, down by 0.21 lakh hectares.

The data indicates that the decline in arhar and moongbean acreage more than offset the increase recorded in urdbean and mothbean.

Coarse Cereals Area Down 4.71 Lakh Hectares

The area under Shri Anna and coarse cereals stood at 168.50 lakh hectares, compared with 173.21 lakh hectares during the same period in 2025, a decline of 4.71 lakh hectares.

Maize accounted for the largest share of this category, with 87.15 lakh hectares, compared with 90.63 lakh hectares last year.

Among other crops, jowar acreage increased marginally to 12.82 lakh hectares, while bajra declined to 62.44 lakh hectares. Ragi coverage stood at 2.80 lakh hectares, while small millets covered 3.30 lakh hectares.

Oilseeds Buck the Declining Trend

Oilseeds emerged as a positive segment, with total acreage reaching 180.20 lakh hectares, compared with 175.01 lakh hectares during the corresponding period last year. This represents an increase of 5.19 lakh hectares.

Groundnut recorded an area of 46.82 lakh hectares, an increase of 3.71 lakh hectares over last year.

Other oilseed crops also recorded gains:

  • Soybean: 119.92 lakh hectares, up by 0.26 lakh hectares.
  • Sunflower: 1.01 lakh hectares, up by 0.43 lakh hectares.
  • Sesamum: 9.96 lakh hectares, up by 1.44 lakh hectares.

However, castor acreage declined by 0.68 lakh hectares, while niger declined marginally by 0.02 lakh hectares.

Sugarcane and Cotton Remain Nearly Stable

Sugarcane acreage stood at 58.31 lakh hectares, compared with 58.62 lakh hectares in 2025, registering a marginal decline of 0.31 lakh hectares.

The area under jute and mesta increased slightly to 6.34 lakh hectares, up from 6.22 lakh hectares last year.

Cotton acreage stood at 106.01 lakh hectares, marginally lower than the 106.42 lakh hectares recorded during the corresponding period in 2025.

Overall Kharif Coverage

The latest figures show that while overall Kharif crop acreage remains below last year's level, the performance varies considerably across crops.

CropArea Sown 2026 (lakh ha)Change over 2025
Rice344.78-15.90
Pulses103.78-1.95
Coarse Cereals168.50-4.71
Oilseeds180.20+5.19
Sugarcane58.31-0.31
Jute & Mesta6.34+0.12
Cotton106.01-0.41
Total967.92-17.96

The figures highlight a mixed Kharif sowing pattern in 2026, with oilseeds and a few individual crops showing expansion while rice, pulses and coarse cereals have recorded lower acreage compared with last year.

Source: Ministry of Agriculture and Farmers Welfare, Government of India / Press Information Bureau