Punjab’s plan to grow different crops is failing, rice now rules 92% of the land

Punjab's agricultural landscape is undergoing a transformation, with rice now dominating 92% of the state's Kharif cultivation area. The 2026 kharif season saw rice covering an unprecedented 32.86 lakh hectares, out of the total 35.554 lakh hectares of agricultural land. This is a significant increase from 2016-17, when rice occupied 28.98 lakh hectares, or about 80.5% of the same agricultural area.

The shift has been accompanied by a decline in non-paddy Kharif crops, falling from approximately 7.02 lakh hectares in 2016-17 to just 2.69 lakh hectares now, a reduction of nearly 62%. Cotton, maize, and sugarcane all saw decreases in their respective areas, while pulses have seen an extraordinary decline of roughly 81%. Despite higher Minimum Support Prices (MSPs) for alternative crops, farmers continue to choose paddy due to the existing procurement ecosystem, MSP assurances, and better yields.