In the current 2024-25 Kharif (summer) season, the area under paddy cultivation has increased by 4.29% to reach 39.42 million hectares. This compares to 37.8 million hectares at the same time last year. According to the Ministry of Agriculture, paddy sowing begins with the onset of the southwest monsoon in June and is harvested in October. Additionally, by August 27th, the area under pulses cultivation has grown to 12.21 million hectares. The sowing of arhar (pigeon peas) has been completed. The area under urad (black gram) is now 2.9 million hectares, down from 3.08 million hectares previously. The area for coarse cereals and millets (bajra) has increased from 17.75 million hectares last year to 18.55 million hectares this year. The area under maize has risen from 8.12 million hectares to 8.72 million hectares. The area under oilseeds has slightly increased to 18.83 million hectares this Kharif season, compared to 18.73 million hectares at the same time last year. Among cash crops, the area under sugarcane has increased marginally from 5.71 million hectares to 5.76 million hectares. The area under cotton has decreased from 12.27 million hectares to 11.13 million hectares, and the area under jute and mesta has reduced from 656,000 hectares to 570,000 hectares. Overall, the total area under all Kharif crops has grown by a little over 2% from 10.448 million hectares last year to 10.65 million hectares this year. The southwest monsoon is currently active and progressing well, with sufficient rainfall recorded across various regions.