Urad Acreage Surges 8% to 18.67 Lakh Hectares

India’s urad cultivation area expanded by a significant 8%, reaching 18.67 lakh hectares for the current kharif season as of July 24, 2026. This growth is primarily fueled by robust market prices and favorable rainfall in the northern and central regions.

• Total Urad Acreage: 18.67 lakh hectares
• Year-on-Year Increase: 8%
• Madhya Pradesh Expansion: 13%
• Uttar Pradesh Jump: 75%
• Rajasthan Increase: 16%
• Maharashtra Decline: 53%
• Karnataka Decline: 24%

Farmers in these regions were incentivized by robust market prices and consistent rainfall, opting for pulses due to their shorter growth cycle and reduced water requirements. This strategic shift in cultivation patterns underscores a market-driven response to commodity demand.

Regional Disparities Highlighted

Northern and central states recorded substantial increases in urad cultivation. Uttar Pradesh led this expansion with a 75% jump in acreage, followed by Rajasthan at 16%, and Madhya Pradesh with a 13% rise in its cultivated area.

Conversely, southern and western states experienced notable contractions. Maharashtra saw a sharp 53% decline in urad acreage, while Karnataka’s cultivation area decreased by 24%. These reductions are attributed directly to monsoon delays and insufficient rainfall in these key agricultural regions.

Outlook on National Supply

The overall national urad supply will heavily depend on successful harvests from the increased acreage in northern areas. This is crucial to offset potential deficits projected from southern states, where trade analysts anticipate output may be limited to approximately a quarter of normal levels.

Market price trends for urad will be influenced by the sustained acreage gains and the quality of yields from northern regions during the critical September-October monsoon period. Any further adverse weather events could tighten supply, potentially leading to increased prices across the market.