New Delhi, July 21: According to data released by the Ministry of Agriculture and Farmers’ Welfare, the total area sown with Kharif crops has reached 6.58 million hectares as of July 17 this year. In comparison, the same period last year saw sowing over 7 million hectares.
Official statistics indicate that rice has been sown in 1.66 million hectares so far this year, down from 1.68 million hectares during the same timeframe last year. The primary reason for this decrease is attributed to a weaker monsoon, influenced by the El Niño weather phenomenon.
Similarly, the area for pulses like urad and moong has also dropped to 0.69 million hectares, compared to 0.82 million hectares last year.
The area sown with coarse grains such as jowar, bajra, and ragi is estimated at 0.99 million hectares this season, significantly lower than the 1.27 million hectares recorded last year.
The area for the early sown annual crop, sugarcane, has reached 1.19 million hectares this year, down from 1.34 million hectares during the same period last year.
Meanwhile, the Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs (CCEA), chaired by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, has approved an increase in the minimum support price (MSP) for 14 Kharif crops for the marketing season 2026-27. This move aims to ensure farmers receive a profitable price for their produce.
The MSP increase aligns with the announcement made in the 2018-19 Union Budget, which stated that MSP should be set at least 1.5 times the all-India weighted average production cost.
Farmers are expected to receive the highest estimated returns of 61% on moong, followed by 56% on bajra and maize, and 54% on tur/arhar. For other Kharif crops, farmers are projected to gain approximately 50% over production costs.
In recent years, the government has adopted a policy of providing relatively higher MSP for crops like pulses, oilseeds, and nutritious grains to promote their cultivation.
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