India’s Kharif sowing season has made a strong start this year, with farmers covering 137.84 lakh hectares of land under various crops as of June 20, 2025. According to the latest data released by the Department of Agriculture and Farmers’ Welfare, this is nearly 13 lakh hectares more than the 124.88 lakh hectares recorded during the same period last year.
Rice, the primary Kharif crop, has shown strong progress, with 13.22 lakh hectares sown so far, an increase of 4.86 lakh hectares from last year. Pulses have also recorded a rise, with total coverage reaching 9.44 lakh hectares. Moong, in particular, has seen a sharp increase of 1.77 lakh hectares, taking the total to 4.43 lakh hectares.
Coarse cereals, promoted under the "Shri Anna" initiative, have also registered significant growth. The total area sown under coarse cereals now stands at 18.03 lakh hectares, up by 3.25 lakh hectares. Maize continues to be the dominant crop in this category, with 12.32 lakh hectares already planted, an increase of over 2 lakh hectares compared to last year.
However, not all crop categories have seen an upward trend. Oilseeds have recorded a minor decline, with the total area dipping by 0.11 lakh ha to 5.38 lakh ha. Small decreases were observed in groundnut and soybean cultivation, though there has been a slight increase in the area under sesamum.
Among commercial crops, cotton has made significant gains, with the area under cultivation rising to 31.25 lakh hectares, up by 2.14 lakh hectares. Sugarcane has also shown steady progress, with sowing reaching 55.07 lakh hectares. In contrast, the area under jute and mesta has declined slightly, dropping by 0.17 lakh hectares to 5.46 lakh hectares.
The rise in total sown area indicates a favourable start to the 2025 Kharif season, supported by timely and widespread monsoon rains in many parts of the country. Officials note that the coming weeks will be critical in sustaining this momentum as the monsoon continues to advance.
