Significant Decline in Maharashtra's Kharif Crop Area Due to Rainfall Deficit

Mumbai: A severe deficit in Southwest Monsoon rainfall has led to a sharp decline in the area under Kharif crops in Maharashtra this year; furthermore, crops in several regions have begun to wither due to a lack of soil moisture. This is expected to impact both yield rates and crop quality.

According to the latest weekly data from the State Agriculture Department, the total area under Kharif crops in Maharashtra dropped by 7.13 lakh hectares—from 145.86 lakh hectares last year to 138.73 lakh hectares—by September 21 of the current year. Within this category, the combined area for paddy and coarse cereals fell from 35.13 lakh hectares to 31.36 lakh hectares,

the sowing area for pulses decreased from 18.78 lakh hectares to 16.18 lakh hectares, and the sugarcane area dropped from 2.71 lakh hectares to 2.46 lakh hectares. Conversely, the acreage for oilseeds rose from 51.01 lakh hectares to 51.33 lakh hectares, and the sowing area for cotton improved from 38.23 lakh hectares to 38.41 lakh hectares.

During the period under review, the area under paddy in Maharashtra declined from 15.61 lakh hectares to 14.00 lakh hectares; the acreage for *Jowar* (sorghum) slipped from 73,000 hectares to 65,000 hectares; the sowing area for *Bajra* (pearl millet) fell from 3.25 lakh hectares to 2.81 lakh hectares; and the area under maize shrank from 14.53 lakh hectares to 13.02 lakh hectares.

Among pulse crops, the area under *Arhar* (tur/pigeon pea) slipped from 12.21 lakh hectares to 12.02 lakh hectares, the sowing area for *Moong* (green gram) fell from 2.11 lakh hectares to 1.48 lakh hectares, and the area under *Urad* (black gram) dropped from 3.78 lakh hectares to approximately 2 lakh hectares. The acreage for other pulses remained on par with the previous year.

Among oilseed crops, the area under soybean cultivation increased from 4.948 million hectares to 4.971 million hectares, while the area sown with groundnut rose from 0.137 million hectares to 0.141 million hectares. The acreage for sunflower stood at 10,000 hectares.