Coarse Grain Output Set to Surge on Strong Maize Crop

26-Nov-2025 08:53 PM

New Delhi. In the Kharif season of 2025, the total area sown for coarse grains increased to 194.67 lakh hectares, an increase of 12 lakh hectares from last year's 182.66 lakh hectares. Specifically, the area under maize production jumped by 10.65 lakh hectares from 84.30 lakh hectares to a new record level of 94.95 lakh hectares.

The area under finger millet and small millets also remained slightly higher than last year, but the area under sorghum and pearl millet declined slightly.

The area under sorghum was 14.07 lakh hectares, the area under millet was 68.44 lakh hectares, the area under finger millet was 11.81 lakh hectares, and the area under small millets was 5.40 lakh hectares.

Based on the sown area and crop conditions, the Union Agriculture Ministry has projected that the total production of coarse and nutri-cereals during the 2025-26 Kharif marketing season will reach a peak of 414.14 lakh tonnes,

which is 24.58 lakh tonnes more than the 2024-25 Kharif production of 389.56 lakh tonnes. Maize production, in particular, is expected to jump 34.95 lakh tonnes from last year's 248.08 lakh tonnes to reach a peak of 283.03 lakh tonnes this year.

Earlier, the Kharif season production of coarse and nutri-cereals was recorded at 355.35 lakh tonnes in 2023-24, 375.78 lakh tonnes in 2022-23, and 361.28 lakh tonnes in 2021-22. Similarly,

the production of maize during the Kharif season was 222.45 lakh tonnes in 2023-24, 236.74 lakh tonnes in 2022-23 and 226.81 lakh tonnes in the 2021-22 season.

While there has been a significant increase in maize production, the production of sorghum and millet remained weak.

Natural disasters have damaged the Kharif coarse grain crop in many areas, and their yield rates are likely to decline. Preparations for harvesting the new Kharif coarse grain crop have already begun.