India's total kharif crop sowing area stood at 1,016.57 lakh hectares as of 14 August 2025, according to data released by the Ministry of Agriculture and Farmers Welfare on Monday. The figure is lower than the 1,037.52 lakh hectares recorded in the corresponding period of the previous year, reflecting the impact of a deficient monsoon driven by the El Nino weather pattern.

Rice Acreage Falls, Pulses Hold Steady

The sharpest drop has been in rice, where the sown area declined to 379.07 lakh hectares from 393.44 lakh hectares a year ago — a shortfall of roughly 14.37 lakh hectares. Officials attribute the decline to deficient rainfall in key paddy-growing states, a direct consequence of El Nino-induced disruptions to the southwest monsoon.

In contrast, pulses — including urad and moong — have remained largely stable at 108.14 lakh hectares, marginally below last year's 108.49 lakh hectares. Their lower water requirement has insulated them from the monsoon shortfall, making them a relative bright spot in an otherwise subdued sowing season.

Millets, Cotton, and Sugarcane Also Slip

Coarse cereals — including jowar, bajra, and ragi — covered 172.96 lakh hectares so far, down from 177.13 lakh hectares in the same period last year. Cotton acreage came in at 107.30 lakh hectares, broadly in line with the previous year's 108.26 lakh hectares. Sugarcane, an annual crop sown earlier in the season, touched 58.31 lakh hectares against 58.62 lakh hectares a year ago — a marginal dip.

Government Raises MSP to Cushion Farmers

The Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs (CCEA), chaired by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, has approved higher Minimum Support Prices (MSP) for 14 kharif crops for Marketing Season 2026-27. The revised MSPs are aligned with the Union Budget 2018-19 commitment to fix support prices at least 1.5 times the all-India weighted average cost of production.

The expected margin over cost of production is highest for moong at 61%, followed by bajra and maize at 56% each, and tur/arhar at 54%. For the remaining crops, the margin is estimated at 50%, according to an official statement. The government has also stepped up promotion of pulses, oilseeds, and nutri-cereals through higher MSP incentives in recent years.

What This Means for Food Prices and Supply

A lower rice sowing area, if not compensated by improved yields, could tighten domestic supply and exert upward pressure on staple food prices in the months ahead. This comes amid a broader global food-price sensitivity linked to El Nino events, which have historically disrupted Asian monsoons. The government's MSP revision and crop-diversification push are intended to limit farmer distress, but the adequacy of those measures will depend on how the rest of the monsoon season unfolds. With August typically being a high-rainfall month, a recovery in precipitation could yet narrow the acreage gap.