Sowing of Kharif crops in Gujarat is lagging behind last year

17-Jun-2025 12:55 PM

Ahmedabad. Sowing of Kharif crops is lagging behind in Gujarat, a key agricultural state in western India, due to inadequate rainfall.

According to the latest weekly data from the State Agriculture Department, as of June 16, 2025, the total area under Kharif crops reached only 3.41 lakh hectares, which is 52 thousand hectares less than the 3.93 lakh hectares recorded during the same period in 2024.

The area under grain and pulse crops remains limited, and most of the current sowing has come from oilseeds and cotton.

Until last week, the southwest monsoon had not become active in Gujarat, and temperatures remained high. However, the monsoon is now expected to arrive soon, which could lead to favorable rainfall in the coming days.

Compared to last year, the sowing area of grain crops has fallen from 345 hectares to 282 hectares, and pulses from 369 hectares to 232 hectares.

On the other hand, oilseed crops saw an increase from 93 thousand hectares to 1.23 lakh hectares, primarily due to a rise in groundnut cultivation.

The area under groundnut rose from 96,529 hectares to 1,22,471 hectares, while soybean cultivation dropped from 279 hectares to 159 hectares.

In the category of cash or industrial crops, cotton sowing decreased from 2,56,317 hectares last year to 1,87,681 hectares this year, reflecting a cautious and selective approach by farmers this season. The area under pigeon pea cultivation has also declined.