New Delhi, July 21 -- The area under kharif crop sowing in India stood at 658.19 lakh hectares as of July 17, 2026, down 42.28 lakh hectares, or 6.04 per cent, from 700.47 lakh hectares during the corresponding period last year, according to the latest data released by the Ministry of Agriculture and Farmers' Welfare.

Rice, the country's main kharif crop, was sown over 166.41 lakh hectares, compared with 167.83 lakh hectares a year ago, marking a decline of 1.41 lakh hectares, or 0.84 per cent.

The acreage under pulses fell sharply to 69.23 lakh hectares from 81.52 lakh hectares last year, registering a decline of 12.29 lakh hectares, or 15.08 per cent. Among pulses, arhar acreage declined 17.78 per cent to 24.80 lakh hectares from 30.1...