According to data from the Ministry of Agriculture and Farmers Welfare, the total area covered under Kharif crops in India has risen to 1,039.81 lakh hectares as of August 15, 2025. This is higher than the 1,002.41 lakh hectares recorded during the same period last year. It projects an increase of 37.39 lakh hectares.
Rice holds its top position this Season
Rice, one of the significant kharif crop, holds its top position this season. The sowing of rice has been reported at around 398.59 lakh hectares, up from 362.92 lakh hectares in 2024. Significantly, the sharp increase of 35.67 lakh hectares in rice enclosure has been one of the important contributors to the overall growth, supported by favourable monsoon conditions in many rice-growing states.
Maize, a standout crop within Coasre cereals
Furthermore, coarse cereals also recorded a strong expansion, with the sown area rising to 182.34 lakh hectares. It is an increase of 9.12 lakh hectares as compared to last year. However, the rest of the Kharif crop, such as maize, was the standout crop within this category as its enclosure growing by nearly 9.82 lakh hectares, making it a key driver of the overall gains. Notably, Pulses showed a smaller positive rise, covering 109.52 lakh hectares as compared to 108.39 lakh hectares in 2024. It marks an addition of 1.14 lakh hectares. The trend, however, was not uniform in all crop groups. The area under oilseeds fell to 178.64 lakh hectares, a decline of 6.74 lakh hectares from last year’s 185.38 lakh hectares. Major oilseeds such as groundnut, sesamum, soybean, sunflower, and niger seeds were recorded diminished coverage, though castor seed enclosure increased by 1.21 lakh hectares.
Cotton cultivation has reduced
Cotton cultivation also reduced, with coverage dropping to 107.87 lakh hectares, a fall of 3.24 lakh hectares from 2024. Not only this, Jute and mesta recorded a marginal decline, covering 5.54 lakh hectares compared to 5.72 lakh hectares last year.