NEW DELHI: The total sown area for Kharif crops has increased by 11.3% year-on-year as of June 27, 2025, aided by an active southwest monsoon and robust rainfall, according to a report by Bank of Baroda. Rainfall was recorded at 9% above the Long Period Average (LPA) till June 30.The report said the increase in acreage was especially strong in pulses and rice, which grew by 37.2% and 47.3%, respectively. Within the pulses category, urad and moong beans registered notable gains. Oilseeds like soybean and groundnut also saw higher sowing. However, cotton and jute & mesta posted a decline in acreage by 8.9% and 2.7% respectively, ANI reported. Regionally, 19 of the 36 sub-divisions (49% of India) received normal to excess rainfall. Northwestern (42%) and Central (25%) regions reported above-normal precipitation, including states such as Gujarat, Rajasthan, Madhya Pradesh, Haryana and Himachal Pradesh. Normal rainfall was also seen in parts of Maharashtra, Karnataka, Kerala and Tamil Nadu, the report added.Eastern and Northeastern India recorded deficient rainfall at -17%, followed by the Southern Peninsula at -3%. Among the states reporting rain shortfall are Bihar, Chhattisgarh, Assam, Nagaland, Meghalaya, Andhra Pradesh and Telangana.The India Meteorological Department (IMD) has forecast above-normal rainfall for July 2025 at 106% of the LPA. As of June 30, cumulative rainfall stood at 180 mm, compared to 147 mm last year and a normal average of 165 mm for the same period.Reservoir storage levels have also improved significantly. As of June 26, storage across 161 reservoirs stood at 36% of total capacity versus 20% a year earlier. The southern region led with 45% storage, followed by western (39%), eastern (31%), northern (30%) and central (29%) regions.