The agriculture ministry reported a 4.29% rise in paddy cultivation, reaching 39.42 million
hectares during the ongoing 2024-25 kharif (summer) season, compared to 37.8 million
hectares in the previous year. Paddy, a key kharif crop, is typically sown with the arrival of
the southwest monsoon in June and harvested from October onwards.
The area devoted to pulses also saw growth, expanding to 12.21 million hectares as of August
27, up from 11.55 million hectares during the same period last year. Notably, ‘arhar’ (tur)
sowing increased to 4.57 million hectares from 4.07 million hectares, marking the completion
of its sowing. Meanwhile, the ‘urad’ crop covered 2.9 million hectares, down from 3.08
million hectares in the previous year.
The cultivation area for coarse cereals and ‘Shree Anna’ (millets) rose to 18.55 million
hectares, compared to 17.75 million hectares last year, with maize acreage increasing to 8.72
million hectares from 8.12 million hectares.
In the oilseeds category, the sown area experienced a slight increase, reaching 18.83 million
hectares, up from 18.73 million hectares in the prior year. Among cash crops, sugarcane
cultivation saw a marginal rise to 5.76 million hectares from 5.71 million hectares, while
cotton acreage declined to 11.13 million hectares from 12.27 million hectares. The jute-mesta
cultivation area decreased to 570,000 hectares from 656,000 hectares.
Overall, the total area sown to kharif crops increased by just over 2%, totaling 106.5 million
hectares compared to 104.48 million hectares during the same period last year. The southwest
monsoon remains active across India, delivering significant rainfall in various regions.
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