Gandhinagar, July 29 (IANS) Gujarat has completed sowing across about 70 per cent of its normal kharif cultivation area, with cotton and groundnut accounting for more than three-fifths of the acreage sown so far during the 2026 season.
Data released by the state Agriculture Department showed that sowing has been completed in 59.26 lakh hectares following widespread monsoon rainfall across the state.
Cotton has been sown in the largest area at 20 lakh hectares, while groundnut has covered more than 17.50 lakh hectares.
The figures indicate that farmers have again shown a strong preference for oilseed and cash crops during the current kharif season.
Soybean has recorded the fastest progress, with sowing completed in 2.79 lakh hectares, equivalent to 99 per cent of its normal sowing area.
Groundnut has reached 91 per cent of its normal area, maize 90 per cent, black gram (urad) 86 per cent and cotton 84 per cent. Pulse crop sowing has improved compared with the same period last year.
The area under pulses has increased from 2.52 lakh hectares in the corresponding period of 2025 to 2.85 lakh hectares this year, representing 68 per cent of the normal pulse sowing area.
Pigeon pea (tur) has been sown in 1.94 lakh hectares, or 76 per cent of its normal area, while black gram has covered 70,772 hectares, or 86 per cent.
Green gram (moong) has so far been sown in 11,900 hectares, equivalent to 21 per cent of its normal area. Foodgrain crops have been sown in 8.39 lakh hectares, accounting for 61 per cent of the normal area.
Paddy leads with 4.63 lakh hectares, followed by maize with 2.54 lakh hectares. The department said paddy acreage is expected to increase further in the coming days because it is largely a transplanting crop.
Sorghum (jowar) has been sown in 10,301 hectares this year, compared with 4,319 hectares during the same period last year. Among other crops, castor has been sown in 52,655 hectares and sesame in 7,597 hectares.
As castor is primarily sown during August, officials expect a significant increase in its cultivated area over the next two weeks. Fodder crops have been sown in 5.21 lakh hectares, which is 51 per cent of the normal area.
Vegetable cultivation has covered 1.71 lakh hectares, or 64 per cent of the normal area, while pearl millet (bajra) has been sown in 1.06 lakh hectares, or 60 per cent.
–IANS
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