Rainfall Deficit Drops India’s Kharif Acreage by 23%
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Summarized by AI; it may make mistakes. Check important info
India’s kharif crop season has witnessed a significant decline in sowing area this year, with total acreage falling 23% compared to last year, according to data released by the Agriculture Ministry.
According to the Agriculture Ministry data, the total area under kharif crops across India currently stood at 1.83 crore hectares, compared to the previous year’s figures.
The decline has been reported across several major crops, including paddy, coarse cereals, pulses, oilseeds and cotton.
Paddy, the largest kharif crop in terms of both acreage and production, saw its sowing area fall to 20.58 lakh hectares from 30.44 lakh hectares last year. Coarse cereals also recorded a decline, with acreage dropping to 30.18 lakh hectares from 30.61 lakh hectares.
Among pulses, the total acreage fell by 31% year-on-year to 10.49 lakh hectares. Tur, urad and moong all witnessed lower sowing areas compared to the previous year, according to official data.
Oilseeds also saw a major decline, with total acreage dropping to 10.70 lakh hectares from 30.64 lakh hectares last year. Groundnut and soybean sowing declined sharply, while sunflower acreage increased slightly.
Cotton acreage declined to 20.97 lakh hectares from 40.54 lakh hectares, adding to concerns among farmers and the agriculture sector. However, sugarcane and jute recorded a rise in acreage during the season.
The following table shows the sowing area of key kharif crops (in hectares) for 2026 compared with 2025 levels, along with the year-on-year percentage change:
Crop | Acreage 2026 (ha) | Acreage 2025(ha) | Change(%) |
Paddy | 25,75,000 | 34,41,000 | -25.2 |
Tur | 3,56,000 | 8,45,000 | -57.9 |
Udaad | 10,7000 | 2,51,000 | -57.4 |
Moong | 8,37,000 | 8,63,000 | 3.01 |
Total Pulses | 14,92,000 | 21,46,000 | -30.5 |
Maize | 15,71,000 | 18,61,000 | -15.6 |
Total coarse Cereals | 3,184,000 | 36,07,000 | -11.7 |
Groundnut | 8,87,000 | 15,29,000 | -42 |
Soyabean | 6,92,000 | 19,97,000 | -65.3 |
Sun flower | 73,000 | 44,000 | 65.91 |
Total Oilseeds | 16,99,000 | 36,41,000 | -53.3 |
Sugarcane | 57,31,000 | 56,64,000 | 1.183 |
Jute | 6,25,000 | 6,13,000 | 1.958 |
Cotton | 29,66,000 | 45,36,000 | -34.6 |
Grand Total | 1,82,72,000 | 2,36,46,000 | -22.7 |
Third-driest June in 100 Years
Experts have linked the decline in kharif sowing to rainfall concerns. Reports indicate that the country has witnessed an unusual rainfall pattern, with some assessments suggesting it could be one of the rarest situations observed in nearly a century.
Gujarat is among the states facing a significant rainfall deficit as India recorded a 38% shortfall in southwest monsoon rainfall between June 1 and June 17.
Meteorologists attribute the weak monsoon to a combination of global and regional weather factors, including the return of El Niño conditions, a weak Madden-Julian Oscillation (MJO), frequent Western Disturbances, a weak Somali Jet, and a neutral Indian Ocean Dipole (IOD).
June 2026 is now set to become the third driest June in India in the last 100 years, as per reports. With just one day remaining in the month, the nationwide rainfall deficit stands at 42%, strengthening concerns that El Niño is already affecting this year's monsoon.
India has received only 92.2 mm of rainfall so far this June, compared with the normal average of 157.7 mm. Even if widespread rain is recorded on the final day of the month, total June rainfall is expected to reach only around 100 mm.
Data from the last century (1927-2026) reportedly shows that only two Junes have recorded lower rainfall than this year: 2009 (87.5 mm) and 2014 (92.1
