The Ministry of Agriculture & Farmers’ Welfare released data on Monday on the progress of area coverage under kharif crops as of June 13, 2025, indicating a slight increase compared to the previous year. The total area sown for kharif crops in 2025 stands at 89.29 lakh hectares, up by 1.48 lakh hectares from 87.81 lakh hectares in 2024.
According to the data, rice cultivation has seen a positive trend, with 4.53 lakh hectares sown in 2025 compared to 4.00 lakh hectares in 2024, marking an increase of 0.53 lakh hectares. The normal area for rice, based on the average from 2019-20 to 2023-24, is 403.09 lakh hectares. Pulses have also recorded a rise, with the sown area increasing to 3.07 lakh hectares in 2025 from 2.60 lakh hectares in 2024, a gain of 0.47 lakh hectares. Among pulses, urd bean and moong bean showed notable increases of 0.24 lakh hectares and 0.17 lakh hectares, respectively, while arhar saw a slight decline of 0.11 lakh hectares.
The area under coarse cereals, including Shri Anna, remained nearly stable at 5.89 lakh hectares in 2025, marginally lower than 5.90 lakh hectares in 2024. Bajra cultivation surged significantly, with 0.86 lakh hectares sown compared to just 0.03 lakh hectares last year, an increase of 0.83 lakh hectares. However, maize and ragi witnessed declines of 0.68 lakh hectares and 0.29 lakh hectares, respectively.
Oilseeds recorded a positive shift, with the sown area rising to 2.05 lakh hectares in 2025 from 1.50 lakh hectares in 2024, driven largely by a 0.66 lakh hectare increase in soybean cultivation. Groundnut, however, saw a slight decrease of 0.13 lakh hectares. Sugarcane cultivation remained robust, with 55.07 lakh hectares sown in 2025, slightly up from 54.88 lakh hectares in 2024. Cotton and jute & mesta, on the other hand, experienced minor declines of 0.09 lakh hectares and 0.17 lakh hectares, respectively.
The data reflects the normal area coverage for kharif crops, calculated as an average from 2019-20 to 2023-24, totaling 1096.64 lakh hectares. The marginal increase in sown area this year highlights steady progress in kharif sowing, with notable variations across specific crops. The Ministry continues to monitor agricultural trends to support farmers and ensure food security as part of its ongoing initiatives.
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