All India Kharif Crop Area Coverage Report 2026
The Ministry of Agriculture & Farmers Welfare reported that the total area under Kharif crops stood at 1086.31 lakh hectares as of September 4, 2026, representing a decrease of 17.69 lakh hectares compared to the same period last year (1104.00 lakh hectares). The normal area for Kharif cultivation is 1104.46 lakh hectares according to DA&FW data.
Crop-wise Performance Analysis
Rice cultivation showed the most significant decline, with area coverage at 421.82 lakh hectares compared to 438.19 lakh hectares last year, a decrease of 16.37 lakh hectares. Major reductions were reported in Karnataka (4.28 lakh ha), Telangana (3.61 lakh ha), Uttar Pradesh (1.84 lakh ha), Andhra Pradesh (1.91 lakh ha), Madhya Pradesh (1.75 lakh ha), Tamil Nadu (1.32 lakh ha), Jharkhand (1.38 lakh ha), and Maharashtra (1.15 lakh ha). Only Assam (0.52 lakh ha) and Odisha (0.29 lakh ha) reported higher coverage.
Pulses were a positive outlier with total area of 117.13 lakh hectares, showing an increase of 1.84 lakh hectares over last year's 115.30 lakh hectares. Within pulses, Tur covered 45.66 lakh ha (vs 44.93 lakh ha last year), Urad covered 25.15 lakh ha (vs 22.46 lakh ha), while Moong declined to 33.19 lakh ha (vs 34.23 lakh ha). Major increases came from Uttar Pradesh (3.97 lakh ha), Jharkhand (0.98 lakh ha), Telangana (0.90 lakh ha), Rajasthan (0.57 lakh ha), and Madhya Pradesh (0.38 lakh ha), offsetting declines in Maharashtra (2.60 lakh ha), Karnataka (2.07 lakh ha), and Odisha (0.61 lakh ha).
Shri Anna & Coarse Cereals covered 181.39 lakh hectares, slightly lower than last year's 182.48 lakh hectares by 1.09 lakh hectares. The category includes Jowar (13.58 lakh ha), Bajra (64.86 lakh ha), Ragi (7.60 lakh ha), Small Millets (4.26 lakh ha), and Maize (91.09 lakh ha). Karnataka (5.64 lakh ha) and Maharashtra (2.41 lakh ha) saw major declines, while Rajasthan (2.90 lakh ha), Chhattisgarh (1.69 lakh ha), Odisha (0.85 lakh ha), Madhya Pradesh (0.80 lakh ha), Bihar (0.72 lakh ha), Uttar Pradesh (0.63 lakh ha), Jharkhand (0.41 lakh ha), and Uttarakhand (0.38 lakh ha) reported gains.
Oilseeds coverage stood at 191.99 lakh hectares, down 1.07 lakh hectares from last year's 193.06 lakh hectares. Groundnut covered 49.61 lakh ha, Soybean 121.82 lakh ha, Sunflower 1.25 lakh ha, Sesamum 10.94 lakh ha, Nigerseed 0.46 lakh ha, and Castorseed 7.79 lakh ha. Rajasthan (2.23 lakh ha) and Gujarat (1.93 lakh ha) reported significant declines, while Uttar Pradesh (2.91 lakh ha) and Madhya Pradesh (1.14 lakh ha) showed increases.
Sugarcane area decreased marginally to 58.47 lakh hectares from 58.87 lakh hectares last year, a reduction of 0.40 lakh hectares. Bihar (0.30 lakh ha) and Uttarakhand (0.20 lakh ha) saw declines, while Uttar Pradesh (0.36 lakh ha) and Haryana (0.21 lakh ha) reported increases.
Jute & Mesta showed positive growth with 6.34 lakh hectares coverage, up 0.10 lakh hectares from last year's 6.24 lakh hectares. Jute accounted for 6.13 lakh ha and Mesta for 0.21 lakh ha. Bihar (0.11 lakh ha) and West Bengal (0.06 lakh ha) led the increases, partially offset by declines in Assam (0.07 lakh ha) and Andhra Pradesh (0.01 lakh ha).
Cotton area decreased to 109.17 lakh hectares from 109.87 lakh hectares last year, a reduction of 0.69 lakh hectares. Significant declines in Rajasthan (1.05 lakh ha), Haryana (0.90 lakh ha), and Punjab (0.43 lakh ha) were partially offset by gains in Telangana (1.14 lakh ha) and Gujarat (0.66 lakh ha).
Regional Distribution Patterns
The report highlights significant state-wise variations in crop area changes. Uttar Pradesh emerged as a major gainer in pulses and oilseeds, while Karnataka experienced substantial declines across multiple crops including rice, pulses, coarse cereals, and oilseeds. Telangana showed mixed performance with gains in pulses and cotton but declines in rice area. Rajasthan reported increases in coarse cereals but declines in oilseeds and cotton.