Coarse Cereal Area Nears 192 Lakh Hectares

09-Sep-2025 01:10 PM

New Delhi. During the current Kharif season, farmers are showing the most interest in maize cultivation after paddy, due to which its area has increased tremendously and due to this the area of ​​coarse / nutri cereals has also increased significantly.

Latest data of the Union Agriculture Ministry shows that the total production area of ​​coarse cereals during the current Kharif season has increased to 191.71 lakh hectares, which is 12.09 lakh hectares or 6.7 percent more than the sown area of ​​179.62 lakh hectares during the same period last year.

Under this, the area of ​​maize in particular jumped 12.20 percent from 84.30 lakh hectares to a peak level of 94.62 lakh hectares. In the category of Millets or Shri Anna,

the production area of ​​Jowar (Sorghum) improved from 14.01 lakh hectares last year to 14.05 lakh hectares and the area of ​​Ragi increased by 10.2 percent from 8.93 lakh hectares to 9.84 lakh hectares, but the sowing area of ​​Bajra fell from 67.96 lakh hectares to 67.89 lakh hectares.

Generally, the condition of coarse cereals crop remained satisfactory, but there is a possibility of partial damage to the crop in some areas due to severe floods caused by very heavy monsoon rains after mid-August.

The production area of ​​maize was already being estimated to increase by 10-15 percent, which proved to be correct. In fact, due to the tremendous demand for maize in animal feed, poultry feed and starch manufacturing industry as well as ethanol industry,

its consumption is increasing rapidly and the price level is also high, due to which the producers are getting attractive income. As a result, farmers showed great enthusiasm in maize cultivation.

There has been a good increase in the area sown under this important coarse grain in almost all the major producing states. This includes Maharashtra where the area under maize jumped from 11.20 lakh hectares last year to 14.51 lakh hectares this year.