Decline of 1.637 million hectares in paddy cultivation area

07-Sep-2026 03:22 PM

New Delhi. A significant decline is being observed this time in the cultivation area of ​​paddy, the most important food grain of the Kharif season. This decline is relative to the previous year; notably, the paddy cultivation area had surged to a new record high in 2025. The acreage for the current year remains above the five-year average.

Latest data from the Union Ministry of Agriculture reveals that the total paddy cultivation area for the current Kharif season stood at 42.182 million hectares as of September 4. While this is 1.637 million hectares less than the 43.319 million hectares recorded during the same period last year, it remains significantly higher than the five-year average of 40.546 million hectares.

In fact, the southwest monsoon was quite sluggish and weak in June this year, causing paddy cultivation to lag significantly. Although good rainfall in July and August led to a substantial improvement in acreage, it still fell short of last year's figures, as paddy cultivation had progressed at a rapid pace the previous year.

The Food Corporation of India (FCI) holds massive stocks of rice, and the domestic supply and availability situation remains comfortable; therefore, a slight dip in production during the 2026-27 season would not have a significant impact. The Indian representative office of the US Department of Agriculture (USDA Post) has projected that India's total rice production for the 2026-27 season will decline to 147 million tonnes—a drop of 7 million tonnes (or 4.5 percent) from the 154 million tonnes produced in the 2025-26 season.