Topic
acreage
Commodities Lower maize acreage and sugar stock uncertainty shift focus to rice for ethanol in India
With maize acreage in top five producing states falling over 13% and sugar stocks expected very low at season end, India's ethanol blending programme is likely to depend more on rice. The government's target of 20% ethanol blending requires about 1,100 crore litres, and reduced broken-rice share in official stocks could boost feedstock availability. Fresh kharif arrivals are expected to strengthen supply.
Commodities India's Kharif Sowing Deficit Narrows to Under 5% as 71% of Normal Area Covered
Indian farmers have narrowed the Kharif sowing deficit to less than 5% by July 24, covering 787.38 lakh hectares (71% of normal). While paddy, pulses, and oilseeds still trail last year's pace, the deficit has reduced sharply from 21% in early July. Agriculture scientists remain cautiously optimistic, though rainfall patterns in the next two months will be critical.
Commodities Urad Acreage in North India Rises 8% on Recent Rains, Sowing Accelerates
Urad (black matpe) acreage in India has increased 8% year-on-year to 18.67 lakh hectares as of July 24, 2026, driven by recent rains in northern states. While Uttar Pradesh, Madhya Pradesh, and Rajasthan saw gains, Maharashtra and Karnataka recorded sharp declines due to delayed monsoon. Trade sources expect higher northern output to offset southern shortfalls.
Commodities Kharif Sowing Acreage Down 6% as Sowing Completes in 60% of Normal Area, Says Agriculture Ministry
India's kharif sowing acreage reached 531.25 lakh hectares as of July 17, down 6% from 632.69 lh a year ago, according to the Agriculture Ministry. The deficit narrowed from 21% in early July due to surplus monsoon rains. Paddy coverage is nearly on par, while pulses and oilseeds still lag. The government targets a foodgrain production of 176.16 mt for the season.
Commodities Tetragon Energy Awards Seismic Reprocessing Contract to DUG Technology for Philippines Permits
Perth-based Tetragon Energy has awarded a $1.45m seismic reprocessing contract to DUG Technology for its Philippines permits SC-80 and SC-81. The work will reprocess old 3D and 2D data to improve prospectivity and support farm-in talks. Managing Director Conrad Todd said the results will underpin discussions with potential partners.
Commodities India's kharif sowing reaches 48% of normal area; paddy deficit narrows to 9%
As of July 10, India's kharif sowing covered 531.25 lakh hectares, 48% of the normal area and 16% lower year-on-year. Paddy transplanting deficit narrowed to 9% from 13% a week earlier, but pulses, oilseeds, and coarse cereals saw double-digit declines. Monsoon rainfall deficit stood at 19% for June 1-July 13, raising concerns for future sowing.
Commodities India’s soybean acreage seen rising 5-7 per cent on favourable prices, says SOPA
India’s soybean acreage is expected to rise 5-7% over last year, driven by prices above the minimum support price. Sowing is nearly complete in key growing regions, with farmers shifting back from maize. The final output depends on timely rainfall over the next three months.
Commodities India's Paddy Acreage Deficit Narrows to 13% on 35% Surplus Rains in Early July
Aided by a 35% surplus of rain in the first five days of July, India's paddy acreage deficit narrowed to 13% as of July 5 from 25% on June 25. However, overall kharif crop acreage remains 21% lower year-on-year. Cotton, soybean, and pulses continue to show significant shortfalls.
Commodities India’s kharif acreage down 23% as deficient monsoon threatens crop output
India’s kharif sowing area has fallen 23% to 182.72 lakh hectares as of June 25, compared to 236.46 lakh hectares a year ago, driven by a 42% monsoon deficit. Sugarcane is the only major crop showing an increase, while paddy, cotton, soybean, and pulses report significant declines. The India Meteorological Department expects monsoon to advance into more regions in the coming days, but July rains will be critical for recovery.
Commodities Chilli acreage set to rebound during 2026-27 season on higher prices, low carry forward stocks
Indian chilli acreage is expected to rebound to 2024-25 levels during the ongoing kharif season, driven by a 20-30% price rise in export and domestic varieties and significantly lower carry-forward stocks of 1.46 crore bags. Strong seed sales and farmer interest in southern states and Madhya Pradesh support the expansion, though delayed rains in Karnataka may push new crop arrivals to December.
Commodities Kharif Pulses Sowing Off to a Weak Start: Acreage Down 43% as of June 12
Kharif pulses sowing in India has started weakly with acreage down 43% as of June 12 due to a delayed and deficient monsoon. Tur acreage fell 57%, urad 22%, and moong 55% compared to last year. Farmers in key regions await rains, while the government holds buffer stocks of 4.3-4.5 million tonnes to keep prices in check.
Commodities India Soyabean Acreage Seen Rising Up to 10% on High Prices, Weak Monsoon Outlook
India's soyabean acreage is expected to rise by up to 10% in 2026, from 12 million hectares in 2025, driven by four-year-high prices and a forecast of below-normal monsoon rainfall due to El Nino. Farmers are shifting from water-intensive crops like sugarcane and corn. Higher output could help curb edible oil imports and ease domestic soyabean and soyameal prices.
Commodities India's Summer Crop Area Rises 3% Amid Paddy, Moong Decline
India's summer crop area has increased by 3% to 86.02 lakh hectares, despite a decline in paddy and moong acreage. The Madhya Pradesh government's bonus for urad has shifted planting preferences.