India Kharif Crop Sowing Drops 6% Amid Monsoon Delays

India's kharif crop sowing declined by 6.04% year-on-year as of July 17, 2026, with total acreage falling to 658.19 lakh hectares from 700.47 lakh hectares the previous year. Data from the Ministry of Agriculture and Farmers' Welfare shows that pulses suffered the steepest drop, falling 15.08%, followed by coarse cereals at 11.23% and oilseeds at 5.54%. While rice acreage remained relatively stable and sugarcane and jute recorded modest increases, the overall shortfall persists.

These trends are linked to a seasonal rainfall deficit of 23% as of July 20. The India Meteorological Department forecasts active monsoons for northwest and northeast India, but warns that activity will remain subdued in west-central and peninsular India, the primary regions for soybean, cotton, and pulses.

Agricultural experts suggest that the delayed rains have created irreversible losses. Sudhir Kumar Suthar of Jawaharlal Nehru University noted that the window for recovering acreage is closing and that farmers are prioritizing income certainty over climatic suitability, making much of the current shortfall in pulses and oilseeds likely permanent.