India's kharif sowing down 21% to 35.085 million hectares so far

India Jul 06, 2026

India's main crop season is off to a slow start this year, thanks to weak monsoon rains.
By July 5, only 35.085 million hectares were sown with kharif crops, a sharp 21% drop from last year, and below the usual average too.
The lack of rain has especially hit oilseeds and rice, with both seeing big declines in planting.

India sees 24% rainfall deficit

A 24% rainfall deficit has left over half the country's regions dry, while water levels in key reservoirs are also a bit lower than normal.
Cotton sowing is down too, but pulses are holding steady and sugarcane has actually gone up.
There's some good news though: the weather office expects widespread rains between July 6-12, which could help farmers catch up if all goes well.