Maharashtra: Maize sowing preferred in Kharif 2025

01-Jul-2025 03:02 PM

Maharashtra: Maize sowing preferred in Kharif 2025
★ According to the Agriculture Department's sowing report as of June 30, 2025, there are clear shifts in cropping preferences:
★ The area under maize has increased significantly from 5.87 lakh hectares to 8.17 lakh hectares, marking a rise of 2.30 lakh hectares.
★ On the other hand, traditional major crops like soybean saw a decline of 1.17 lakh hectares, cotton fell by 2.07 lakh hectares, and tur (pigeon pea) dropped slightly by 8,997 hectares.
★ The primary reason behind this shift is the consistently low market prices of tur, soybean, and cotton over a long period.
★ Additionally, irregular early monsoon rains have led farmers to prefer short-duration crops, with maize emerging as a key choice.
★ Due to relatively stable and remunerative maize prices, farmer confidence in maize has strengthened.
★ This trend of increasing maize sowing is not limited to Maharashtra — similar patterns are being observed in other states as well.