Indian Kharif Planting Nears the Finish Line

India’s 2026 Kharif planting season is nearing completion, with the overall acreage deficit narrowing but total sowing still remaining below last year’s level. As of September 4, 2026, farmers had planted approximately 108.63 million hectares under Kharif crops, down 1.60% from 110.4 million hectares during the corresponding period last year.

The pulse sector has shown a relatively positive trend, with acreage rising 1.6% year-on-year to 11.71 million hectares, compared with 11.53 million hectares a year earlier. Among major pulses, tur acreage increased to 4.57 million hectares from 4.49 million hectares, while urad planting rose sharply to 2.51 million hectares from 2.25 million hectares. In contrast, moong acreage declined to 3.32 million hectares, compared with 3.42 million hectares last year.

Oilseed acreage stood at 19.20 million hectares, marginally below the 19.31 million hectares recorded during the same period in 2025. Planting trends within the oilseed category remained mixed, with soybean and groundnut acreage declining, while sesamum and sunflower recorded notable gains. Sunflower acreage more than doubled to around 0.13 million hectares, although it remains a relatively small crop in overall terms.

Overall, India’s Kharif acreage pattern remains mixed. The final production outlook will depend increasingly on crop yields and weather conditions during the remaining crop-development period.