Oilseeds and pulses see mixed trends, while rice and coarse cereals remain below last year’s coverage

Key Highlights

• Total Kharif sowing reached 985.89 lakh hectares as of August 7, 2026.
• Coverage was 17.96 lakh hectares lower than the 1,003.85 lakh hectares recorded during the corresponding period last year.
• Oilseeds recorded an increase of 5.19 lakh hectares over 2025.
• Rice acreage declined by 15.90 lakh hectares year-on-year.
• Pulse coverage fell by 1.95 lakh hectares, while coarse cereals declined by 4.71 lakh hectares.
• Groundnut, sesame and soybean were among the oilseed crops showing higher acreage.

The total area under Kharif crops stood at 985.89 lakh hectares as of August 7, 2026, according to the latest data released by the Ministry of Agriculture and Farmers’ Welfare. The figure represents a decline of 17.96 lakh hectares compared with the previous year.

The overall Kharif sowing area stood at 967.92 lakh hectares in the corresponding 2025 data, while the final 2025 coverage was 1,134.27 lakh hectares. The normal Kharif area for the 2020-21 to 2024-25 period was 1,104.46 lakh hectares.

Rice Acreage Declines by Nearly 16 Lakh Hectares

Rice remained the largest Kharif crop by area, with 344.78 lakh hectares sown by August 7. This was 15.90 lakh hectares lower than the 360.67 lakh hectares recorded in the comparable 2025 period.

The decline is notable against the five-year normal area of 412 lakh hectares, although final 2025 rice coverage was substantially higher at 446.70 lakh hectares.

Pulses Show Mixed Performance

The area under Kharif pulses reached 103.78 lakh hectares, down 1.95 lakh hectares from 105.73 lakh hectares in 2025.

Among major pulses:

• Arhar: 37.53 lakh hectares, down 2.61 lakh hectares.
• Urdbean: 22.86 lakh hectares, up 2.57 lakh hectares.
• Moongbean: 31.37 lakh hectares, down 1.84 lakh hectares.
• Kulthi: 0.18 lakh hectares, marginally higher.
• Mothbean: 8.80 lakh hectares, up 0.14 lakh hectares.
• Other pulses: 3.03 lakh hectares, down 0.21 lakh hectares.

The data points to a shift within the pulses category rather than a uniform decline across all pulse crops.

Oilseeds Buck the Overall Downward Trend

Oilseeds were among the strongest-performing categories, with acreage reaching 180.20 lakh hectares, an increase of 5.19 lakh hectares over 2025.

Groundnut acreage increased by 3.71 lakh hectares to 46.82 lakh hectares, while soybean remained broadly stable at 119.92 lakh hectares.

Other notable movements included:

• Sesamum: 9.96 lakh hectares, up 1.44 lakh hectares.
• Sunflower: 1.01 lakh hectares, up 0.43 lakh hectares.
• Castor: 2.27 lakh hectares, down 0.68 lakh hectares.
• Niger: 0.12 lakh hectares, down marginally.

The increase in oilseed coverage could support the government’s broader objective of strengthening domestic oilseed production and reducing dependence on edible oil imports.

Coarse Cereals and Commercial Crops

Area under Shri Anna and coarse cereals stood at 168.50 lakh hectares, down 4.71 lakh hectares from 2025.

Maize accounted for the largest share within the category at 87.15 lakh hectares, but was 3.48 lakh hectares below last year’s coverage. Bajra acreage declined by 0.55 lakh hectares, while Jowar increased marginally.

Among commercial crops, sugarcane coverage stood at 58.31 lakh hectares, down 0.31 lakh hectares. Cotton acreage declined by 0.41 lakh hectares to 106.01 lakh hectares, while Jute and Mesta acreage increased marginally to 6.34 lakh hectares.

What the Kharif Data Means for Food and Hospitality

The final impact of the acreage movement will depend on monsoon conditions, crop yields and harvesting outcomes, rather than sowing area alone.

For the food and hospitality sector, however, changes in crop mix can influence the availability and pricing of key commodities such as rice, pulses, edible oils and maize. The decline in rice and pulse acreage could warrant monitoring of food-input prices later in the season, while higher oilseed acreage may provide some support to domestic edible-oil supplies.

For foodservice operators, hotels, restaurants and institutional kitchens, the eventual harvest will be more important than the current acreage figures—but the August sowing data provides an early indicator of potential supply-side trends for the coming agricultural cycle.