The total area sown under kharif crops this season in India has reached 119.90 lakh hectares as of June 19, up from 117.95 lakh hectares during the same period last year, as per data from the Ministry of Agriculture and Farmers Welfare. Specifically, the area under rice has expanded to 12.36 lakh hectares this year, showing a significant increase from 8.09 lakh hectares last year.
The cultivation area for pulses like urad and moong has also seen growth, now standing at 7.21 lakh hectares compared to 6.39 lakh hectares in the previous year. Moreover, the area dedicated to coarse cereals such as jowar, bajra, and ragi has risen to 12.43 lakh hectares this season, up from 9.82 lakh hectares in the same period last year.
Additionally, the area allocated for sugarcane cultivation has increased to 57.31 lakh hectares from 56.64 lakh hectares in the previous year. The Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs, led by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, recently approved an MSP hike for 14 kharif crops for the 2026-27 marketing season to ensure better prices for farmers.
In line with the Union Budget 2018-19, the MSP increase aims to provide farmers with at least 1.5 times the all-India weighted average cost of production. Notably, the expected margin over the cost of production is highest for moong at 61%, followed by bajra, maize, and tur/arhar. The government has been encouraging the cultivation of pulses, oilseeds, and nutri-cereals/millets by offering higher MSPs for these crops.
