Surplus pre-monsoon rains across Karnataka has spurred early sowing of key kharif crops such as maize, pulses, oilseeds and commercial crops in the State. During the pre-monsoon period from March 1 till May 31, 2025, Karnataka has received rainfall of 286 mm, about 149 per cent more than the normal of 115 mm for the period.
A total of 3.06 lakh hectares has been sown till May 31 this year in the early kharif sowing season, over the same period as last year’s 2.36 lakh ha, as per the Karnataka Agriculture Department’s latest statistics.
The Department has set a foodgrain production target of 111.4 lakh tonnes for the 2025-26 kharif season comprising of 96.14 lakh tonnes of cereals and 15.26 lakh tonnes of pulses. The State is also eyeing a production of 8.68 lakh tonnes of oilseeds for the kharif season.
In view of the widespread pre-monsoon rains, the agricultural activities such as land preparation and sowing of crops such as jowar, maize, greengram, blackgram and cotton among others is being taken up across various districts.
Maize, a key cereal crop has been sown in about 0.714 lakh ha till May 31, about 160 per cent increase over same period last year’s 0.274 lakh ha. Karnataka is one of the large producers of kharif maize.
Similarly, jowar has been sown in higher area of 0147 lakh ha (0.129 lakh ha). Total foodgrain area covered till May 31 stood at 0.88 lakh ha (0.46 lakh ha).
Among pulses, farmers are showing increasing interest for blackgram, moong and cowpea in the early sowing season, while the tur area has sown a lag. Tur has been sown in 0.041 lakh ha (0.088 lakh ha), blackgram 0.126 lakh ha (0.079 lakh ha), moong 0.166 lakh ha (0.164 lakh ha) and cowpea in 0.44 lakh ha (0.32 lakh ha). Total pulses area till May 31 is up at 0.78 lakh ha (0.65 lakh ha).
Among the commercial crops, farmers have shown interest in planting sugarcane crop with area witnessing a major increase at 0.178 lakh ha (0.020 lakh ha) and tobacco at 0.667 lakh ha(0.659 lakh ha). Cotton area is a tad lower at 0.255 lakh ha (0.332 lakh ha).
Area under oilseeds is higher at 0.284 lakh ha (0.227 lakh ha) with farmers showing interest in sowing groundnut 0.061 lakh ha (0.026 lakh ha) and sesamum at 0.071 lakh ha (0.047 lakh ha). Sunflower area is a tad lower at 0.128 lakh ha (0.152 lakh ha).
Published on June 2, 2025