EconomyRural and agriculture
What are farmers planting, and are they buying inputs?
Rabi (winter) sowing has only begun: 3.4 lakh hectares by 16 Oct 2026, against 4.7 a year earlier. By 11 Sept 2026, farmers had sown 1,096.5 lakh hectares in the kharif (monsoon) season, 1.4% less than a year earlier and 99% of the normal area.
Written for readers following the farm economy. Data checked on 26 Oct 2026.
How did the kharif (monsoon) sowing season go?
Rabi (winter) sowing has only begun: 3.4 lakh hectares by 16 Oct 2026, against 4.7 a year earlier. By 11 Sept 2026, farmers had sown 1,096.5 lakh hectares in the kharif (monsoon) season, 1.4% less than a year earlier and 99% of the normal area.
Area sown in the kharif (monsoon) season
Lakh hectares, cumulative, each week; the season's normal area is 1104 lakh hectares.
How to read it. Each bulletin restates the area sown by the same week a year earlier, so the two lines compare like with like.
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Which crops are ahead or behind?
By 11 Sept 2026, against the same week a year earlier and the season's normal area.
Area sown by crop
% change on the same week a year earlier, and % of the season's normal area.
How to read it. Early in a season the shares of normal are small and the changes on a year earlier swing on a few lakh hectares; they settle as sowing finishes.
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Are farmers buying fertiliser?
Fertiliser sales in Jul 2026 were 18.9% lower than a year earlier: urea 14.1% down, DAP 7.4% down, potash (MOP) 29.0% down and complexes (NPK) 35.7% down.
Fertiliser sales each month
Lakh tonnes, all India.
How to read it. Sales are highest from June to August, as the kharif crop is sown and fed, and from November to January for rabi; they are lowest in March and April.
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The workings
The question
Data
Every chart has a table view, a CSV download and a link to its published JSON. Bundles are listed in data status.