Andhra Pradesh Kharif Sowing Up 74% to 148,000 Hectares

19-Jun-2026 07:49 PM

Kharif sowing in Andhra Pradesh reached 148,000 hectares as of June 18, up 74% from 85,000 hectares a year ago. The state's normal kharif acreage is 3.08 million hectares, of which nearly 5% has been covered so far.

Paddy acreage increased to 65,000 hectares from 46,000 hectares last year. In contrast, maize acreage declined to 3,000 hectares from 4,000 hectares, while bajra acreage fell to 1,000 hectares from 3,000 hectares a year ago.

Among pulses, tur acreage declined to 2,000 hectares from 3,000 hectares, while urad acreage doubled to 2,000 hectares from 1,000 hectares. Sowing of moong has not yet started in the state.

The total area under oilseeds increased to 11,000 hectares from 8,000 hectares last year. Groundnut acreage rose to 9,000 hectares from 7,000 hectares, while sesame acreage remained unchanged at 1,000 hectares. Soybean sowing is yet to begin.

Cotton recorded a significant increase, with acreage rising to 58,000 hectares from 17,000 hectares a year ago. Sugarcane acreage also increased to 6,000 hectares from 2,000 hectares.

The state received 55.6 mm of rainfall during June 1–18, marginally below the normal 56.4 mm. Although the southwest monsoon covered the entire state on June 12, weak monsoon activity has kept rainfall slightly below normal so far.

Reservoir levels are also lower than last year. As of June 20, reservoirs in Andhra Pradesh were at 39.1% of their live storage capacity, compared with 41.1% a year earlier.