New Delhi, August 18: The total area sown under kharif crops in India has crossed 1,016 lakh hectares, reaching 1,016.57 lakh hectares as of August 14, 2026, according to data released by the Ministry of Agriculture and Farmers Welfare.
The area was 1,037.52 lakh hectares during the corresponding period last year, indicating a decline of around 2%. Rice has been sown across 379.07 lakh hectares, compared with 393.44 lakh hectares a year earlier.
Pulses coverage stood at 108.14 lakh hectares, broadly unchanged from 108.49 lakh hectares last year, while coarse cereals including jowar, bajra and ragi covered 172.96 lakh hectares against 177.13 lakh hectares. Cotton acreage stood at 107.30 lakh hectares, compared with 108.26 lakh hectares last year, while sugarcane coverage was 58.31 lakh hectares against 58.62 lakh hectares.
The latest sowing figures come amid concerns over below-normal monsoon rainfall, which could affect recently planted crops in several regions. The government has also raised the Minimum Support Prices for 14 kharif crops for the 2026-27 marketing season, with the move aimed at ensuring remunerative returns to farmers and encouraging crop diversification towards pulses, oilseeds and nutri-cereals.