Read or download the official PDF of this gazette notification issued by the Ministry of Agriculture & Farmers Welfare on 17th August 2026. Classified under Press Release.
Executive Summary
This report details the progress of Kharif crop area coverage in India as of August 14, 2026, as reported by the Ministry of Agriculture & Farmers Welfare. The total area sown stands at 1016.57 lakh hectares, representing a decrease of 20.95 lakh hectares compared to the same period in 2025. Key deadlines or action items are not explicitly stated, but the report serves as a critical mid-season benchmark for agricultural performance across various states.
Key Points / Main Content
Overall Sowing Trends
The total area covered for all Kharif crops in 2026 is 1016.57 lakh hectares, down from 1037.52 lakh hectares in 2025.
Most major crop categories, including rice, pulses, coarse cereals, oilseeds, and cotton, have seen a year-on-year decrease in area coverage.
Rice and Pulses
Rice: Coverage reached 379.07 lakh hectares, a decrease of 14.37 lakh hectares from 2025. Significant declines occurred in Karnataka, Jharkhand, and Maharashtra, while Assam and Uttarakhand reported higher coverage.
Pulses: Total area is 108.14 lakh hectares, a slight decrease of 0.35 lakh hectares. Notable increases were seen in Urdbean (+2.73 lakh ha) and Mothbean, while Arhar and Moongbean coverage declined. Uttar Pradesh and Rajasthan reported higher pulse coverage.
Shri Anna cum Coarse Cereals
Total coverage is 172.96 lakh hectares, down by 4.17 lakh hectares from the previous year.
Maize saw the largest decline within this category (-3.67 lakh ha).
Jowar and Bajra both saw modest increases of 0.69 lakh hectares each.
Significant regional decreases were noted in Karnataka and Maharashtra, while Rajasthan and Chhattisgarh reported higher coverage.
Oilseeds and Commercial Crops
Oilseeds: Total area decreased by 0.89 lakh hectares to 184.46 lakh hectares. Groundnut and Sesamum saw increases, but Soybean and Castor declined significantly. Rajasthan saw a major decrease, whereas Uttar Pradesh saw a substantial increase.
Cotton: Area coverage dropped by 0.96 lakh hectares to 107.30 lakh hectares, with major decreases in Rajasthan and Haryana.
Sugarcane: Decreased slightly by 0.31 lakh hectares to 58.31 lakh hectares.
Jute & Mesta: One of the few categories to show growth, increasing by 0.11 lakh hectares, primarily driven by Bihar.
Impact Analysis
Ministry of Agriculture & Farmers WelfareImpact
The Ministry is responsible for tracking these figures against normal averages (2020-21 to 2024-25) to ensure national food security and monitor agricultural health.
Action Required
Continue the systematic collection and publication of sowing data to facilitate informed policy decisions and resource allocation.
State Governments (High Decline Zones: Karnataka, Maharashtra, Jharkhand, Rajasthan)Impact
These states are experiencing significant reductions in area coverage for primary crops like rice, pulses, and coarse cereals, which may affect regional agricultural output.
Action Required
Analyze the causes of the decline in their respective regions and potentially implement measures to support farmers in areas with lagging coverage.
State Governments (Growth Zones: Uttar Pradesh, Assam, Bihar)Impact
These states are showing resilience or expansion in specific crops such as pulses, rice, and jute.
Action Required
Maintain support for the increased cultivation areas to ensure the successful harvest of these expanded crop zones.
Agricultural Sector Stakeholders/FarmersImpact
The data reflects shifting sowing patterns and a general contraction in total Kharif area, which could influence market prices and crop availability.
Action Required
Farmers in regions with declining coverage may need to assess late-season sowing options or optimize existing crop management to mitigate potential yield gaps.
Key Entities Referenced
Ministry of Agriculture & Farmers Welfare: The central ministry responsible for monitoring and reporting the national progress of agricultural area coverage and crop production.
Kharif crops: The primary agricultural season and group of crops (including rice, pulses, and oilseeds) that defines the scope of this progress report.
Shree Anna: A specialized category for millets and coarse cereals, treated as a priority initiative for tracking cultivation area and nutritional security.
Ministry of Agriculture & Farmers Welfare
Progress of area coverage under Kharif crops as
on 14.08.2026
प्रव तथ: 17 AUG 2026 7:43PM by PIB Delhi
Area: In lakh hectare
S. Crop Normal Area Final Area Area Sown
No. (2020-21 to Coverage
2024-25) 2025 2026 2025 Increase(+)/
Decrease(-) over 2025
1 Rice 412.00 446.70 379.07 393.44 -14.37
2 Pulses 123.64 118.97 108.14 108.49 -0.35
a Arhar 44.32 44.60 40.31 42.01 -1.69
b Urdbean 29.60 21.26 23.52 20.79 2.73
c Moongbean 35.48 37.45 32.05 33.42 -1.37
d Kulthi 1.48 0.19 0.18 0.01
e Mothbean 9.69 8.92 8.69 0.23
f Other pulses 3.07 15.66 3.14 3.40 -0.27
3 Shri Anna 182.63 192.12 172.96 177.13 -4.17
cum Coarse
cereals
a Jowar 14.44 12.10 13.30 12.61 0.69
b Bajra** 70.94 63.80 63.98 63.29 0.69
c Ragi 12.01 13.46 3.46 5.26 -1.80d Small millets 4.47 4.15 3.83 3.92 -0.09
e Maize 80.77 98.61 88.39 92.06 -3.67
4 Oilseeds 200.08 196.38 184.46 185.36 -0.89
a Groundnut 46.79 50.29 48.03 47.01 1.02
b Soybean 128.71 123.86 120.84 122.61 -1.76
c Sunflower 1.20 0.88 1.06 0.61 0.46
d Sesamum 12.88 9.63 10.35 8.73 1.63
e Niger 1.01 0.83 0.24 0.16 0.08
f Castor 9.49 10.89 3.83 6.19 -2.35
g Other Oilseeds 0.00 0.10 0.06 0.04
5 Sugarcane 54.20 58.84 58.31 58.62 -0.31
6 Jute & Mesta 6.40 6.06 6.34 6.23 0.11
7 Cotton 125.51 115.20 107.30 108.26 -0.96
Total 1104.46 1134.27 1016.57 1037.52 -20.95
Rice: About 379.07 lakh ha area coverage under rice has been reported as compared to 393.44 lakh ha
during the corresponding period of last year, showing a decrease of 14.37 lakh ha. The major decrease
in area has been reported in the states of Karnataka (2.86 lakh ha), Jharkhand (2.26 lakh ha),
Maharashtra (2.25 lakh ha), Odisha (2.09 lakh ha), Madhya Pradesh (1.64 lakh ha), Telangana (1.49
lakh ha), Tamil Nadu (1.17 lakh ha), Andhra Pradesh (1.14 lakh ha), Gujarat (0.83 lakh ha), West
Bengal (0.87 lakh ha), Uttar Pradesh (0.58 lakh ha) and Bihar (0.52 lakh ha). Higher area coverage has
been reported in Assam (3.93 lakh ha), Uttarakhand (0.35 lakh ha), etc.
Pulses: About 108.14 lakh ha area coverage under pulses has been reported as compared to 108.49 lakh
ha during the corresponding period of last year, showing a decrease of 0.35 lakh ha. The major decrease
in area has been reported in the states of Karnataka (4.16 lakh ha), Maharashtra (2.70 lakh ha), Odisha
(0.64 lakh ha), Tamil Nadu (0.13 lakh ha) and Bihar (0.14 lakh ha). Higher area coverage has been
reported in the states of Uttar Pradesh (4.25 lakh ha), Rajasthan (0.93 lakh ha), Chhattisgarh (0.40 lakh
ha), Andhra Pradesh (0.35 lakh ha), Telangana (0.34 lakh ha), Madhya Pradesh (0.14 lakh ha), etc.Shree Anna & Coarse Cereals: About 172.96 lakh ha area coverage under Shree Anna & Coarse
Cereals has been reported as compared to 177.13 lakh ha during the corresponding period of last year,
showing a decrease of 4.17 lakh ha. The major decrease in area has been reported in the states of
Karnataka (7.00 lakh ha), Maharashtra (2.46 lakh ha), Haryana (0.59 lakh ha), Tamil Nadu (0.30 lakh
ha), Telangana (0.31 lakh ha), Andhra Pradesh (0.36 lakh ha), Jammu & Kashmir (0.19 lakh ha) and
Gujarat (0.09 lakh ha). Higher area coverage has been reported in the states of Rajasthan (2.15 lakh ha),
Chhattisgarh (1.53 lakh ha), Madhya Pradesh (0.92 lakh ha), Odisha (0.68 lakh ha), Uttar Pradesh (0.62
lakh ha), Bihar (0.59 lakh ha), Uttarakhand (0.42 lakh ha), Jharkhand (0.20 lakh ha) and Himachal
Pradesh (0.09 lakh ha), etc.
Oilseeds: About 184.46 lakh ha area coverage under oilseeds has been reported as compared to 185.36
lakh ha during the corresponding period of last year, showing a decrease of 0.89 lakh ha. The major
decrease in area has been reported in the states of Rajasthan (3.40 lakh ha), Maharashtra (0.56 lakh ha),
Gujarat (1.00 lakh ha), Karnataka (0.44 lakh ha), Tamil Nadu (0.13 lakh ha), Odisha (0.16 lakh ha),
etc.The higher area coverage has been reported in the states of Uttar Pradesh (3.89 lakh ha), Madhya
Pradesh (0.68 lakh ha), Assam (0.10 lakh ha), etc.
Sugarcane: About 58.31 lakh ha area coverage under sugarcane has been reported as compared to
58.62 lakh ha during the corresponding period of last year, showing a decrease of 0.31 lakh ha. The
major decrease in area has been reported in the states of Uttarakhand (0.20 lakh ha), Maharashtra (0.14
lakh ha), Punjab (0.14 lakh ha), Madhya Pradesh (0.12 lakh ha), etc. Higher area coverage has been
reported in the states of Uttar Pradesh (0.36 lakh ha), Haryana (0.11 lakh ha), etc.
Jute & Mesta: About 6.34 lakh ha area coverage under Jute & Mesta has been reported compared to
6.23 lakh ha during the corresponding period of last year. Thus increase by 0.11 lakh ha majourly in
Bihar (0.11 lakh ha).
Cotton: About 107.30 lakh ha area coverage under cotton has been reported as compared to 108.26
lakh ha during the corresponding period of last year, showing a decrease of 0.96 lakh ha. The major
decrease in area has been reported in the states of Rajasthan (1.09 lakh ha), Haryana (0.90 lakh ha),
Punjab (0.43 lakh ha), Maharashtra (0.38 lakh ha), Karnataka (0.10 lakh ha), Uttar Pradesh (0.05 lakh
ha) and Odisha (0.01 lakh ha). Higher area coverage has been reported mainly in the states of
Telangana (1.25 lakh ha), Gujarat (0.64 lakh ha), Madhya Pradesh (0.11 lakh ha) and Andhra Pradesh
(0.02 lakh ha).
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