COMMODITY
Paddy sowing falls around 4% as on August 14 in ongoing kharif season
Aug-18-2026

The latest data released by the agriculture ministry showed that paddy sowing in the ongoing kharif season has fallen 3.65 per cent to 379.07 lakh hectares as on August 14, 2026, against 393.44 lakh hectares a year earlier, as deficient rainfall curbed coverage in Karnataka, Jharkhand and Maharashtra. Sowing of kharif crops, which typically picks up with the onset of the southwest monsoon in June, was delayed this year on account of El Nino conditions. The data showed the steepest fall in paddy acreage in Karnataka (down 2.86 lakh hectares), followed by Jharkhand (2.26 lakh hectares), Maharashtra (2.25 lakh hectares), Odisha (2.09 lakh hectares), Madhya Pradesh (1.64 lakh hectares), Telangana (1.49 lakh hectares) and Andhra Pradesh (1.14 lakh hectares). 

However, acreage under pulses and oilseeds stayed close to year-ago levels. Pulses were sown across 108.14 lakh hectares as on August 14, marginally lower than 108.49 lakh hectares a year earlier. Within pulses, arhar acreage slipped to 40.31 lakh hectares from 42.01 lakh hectares, and moong to 32.05 lakh hectares from 33.42 lakh hectares, while urad bucked the trend to rise to 23.52 lakh hectares from 20.79 lakh hectares. Oilseeds sowing, having narrowed its earlier lag, covered 184.46 lakh hectares - marginally lower than 185.36 lakh hectares last year.

Coarse cereals acreage was lower at 172.96 lakh hectares, compared with 177.13 lakh hectares a year ago. Among cash crops, sugarcane area eased marginally to 58.31 lakh hectares from 58.62 lakh hectares, and cotton acreage dipped to 107.30 lakh hectares from 108.26 lakh hectares. Jute/mesta, however, rose slightly to 6.34 lakh hectares from 6.23 lakh hectares. Meanwhile, as per India Meteorological Department (IMD) data, the overall monsoon deficit stood at 12 per cent till August 12. The shortfall was sharpest in the east and north-eastern states at 26 per cent, followed by 19 per cent in the south peninsula and 11 per cent in northwest India.

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