Rajasthan agri dept sets kharif sowing targets, focus on major millets

State boosts targets for bajra, jowar, guar and soybean as monsoon progress remains uncertain

The focus for the 2026 kharif season in Rajasthan will be on increasing the yield of major millets, a senior agriculture department official said. The state is also pushing for increased cultivation of guar and soybean.

The state agriculture department has released kharif sowing targets, which show higher targets for some millets, guar and soybean, while targets for certain pulses and oilseeds have been reduced. However, actual sowing levels will depend on rainfall conditions.

Higher targets for millets and guar

Among major millets, the target area for pearl millet (bajra) has been increased to 4,050,000 hectares from the 3,909,000 hectares target set last year. For sorghum (jowar), acreage has increased from 498,000 hectares to 600,000 hectares.

Guar, for which Rajasthan is India’s largest producer, saw its target raised from 2,482,000 hectares in 2025 to 2,550,000 hectares this year. Moth bean acreage has also been increased from 859,000 hectares to 1,000,000 hectares.

Mixed trends in pulses and oilseeds

Among pulse crops, the target acreage for moong has been marginally reduced from 2,657,000 hectares to 2,650,000 hectares. For groundnuts, target acreage has been reduced from 1,286,000 hectares to 1,150,000 hectares.

In contrast, soybean acreage has increased from 989,000 hectares to 1,100,000 hectares, while cotton acreage has risen from 644,000 hectares to 720,000 hectares. Maize acreage has also been raised from 888,000 hectares to 970,000 hectares.

Monsoon uncertainty remains a concern

The department has made only marginal changes to sowing targets compared with 2025, as officials and farmers monitor rainfall patterns. The prospect of El Niño leading to reduced rainfall has added to the uncertainty.

“Timely and adequate rainfall would encourage farmers to sow enthusiastically, whereas scanty rainfall would reduce sowing, as most major kharif crops in Rajasthan are rain-fed,” an official said.

Till the first week of June, only 9% of the targeted bajra sowing had been completed, and only 3% of the targeted guar sowing. Ramotar Khandelwal, a guar trader from Jaipur, said delayed rainfall remains a possibility. If rains are delayed or inadequate, farmers are likely to increase cluster bean sowing, as the crop can be planted later in the season and requires very little water.

Moong trader Shyam Natani said El Niño could affect kharif sowing in the state. With farmers waiting for rainfall, it is difficult to predict whether actual moong sowing will eventually be higher or lower than last year. Farmers with irrigation facilities have already begun sowing moong despite the lack of rainfall.

Kharif sowing targets at a glance

Source: Rajasthan Agriculture Department