Maharashtra’s Kharif Area Shrinks Despite Good Rainfall
10-Sep-2025 12:39 PM
Mumbai. Although there has been a good increase in the production area of paddy, maize and sugarcane in Maharashtra, the total production of Kharif crops is lagging behind last year due to a decrease in sowing of some other crops including soybean and cotton.
According to the latest data of the state agriculture department, during the current year, the total production area of Kharif crops in Maharashtra has reached only 145.45 lakh hectares, which is 1.58 lakh hectares less than the sowing area of 147.03 lakh hectares during the same period last year. Sowing of Kharif crops has almost ended.
According to official data, during the current Kharif season, compared to last year, the production area of paddy in Maharashtra increased from 14.85 lakh hectares to 15.12 lakh hectares and the area of maize jumped from 11.21 lakh hectares to 14.54 lakh hectares.
But the area of Jowar (Sorghum) fell from 1.05 lakh hectare to 84 thousand hectare and the sowing area of Bajra (Bajra) fell from 4.01 lakh hectare to 3.25 lakh hectare. Despite this, the total production area of paddy and coarse grains in the state increased from 32.13 lakh hectare to 34.64 lakh hectare.
But the production area of pulses crops fell from 19.14 lakh hectare last year to 18.74 lakh hectare this time. Under this,
the sowing area of Arhar (Tuvar) improved from 12.18 lakh hectare to 12.20 lakh hectare but the production area of Moong fell from 2.35 lakh hectare to 2.11 lakh hectare, the area of Urad slipped from 3.87 lakh hectare to 3.76 lakh hectare and the area of other pulses fell from 73 thousand hectare to 68 thousand hectare.
In the oilseed crops category, the production area of soybean has decreased from 51.34 lakh hectare last year to 49.65 lakh hectare this time and the sowing area of groundnut has fallen from 1.48 lakh hectare to 1.35 lakh hectare.
Apart from this, sesame and sunflower have been cultivated in a limited area in the state and its area is lagging behind last year.
Among cash or industrial crops, the production area of sugarcane has increased significantly but the area of cotton has decreased from 40.75 lakh hectare to 38.43 lakh hectare.
It is notable that Maharashtra is the second largest producer state of pigeon pea, soybean, cotton and sugarcane.