{
  "id": 4203419,
  "title": "Punjab’s plan to grow different crops is failing, rice now rules 92% of the land",
  "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/08/29/punjabs-plan-to-grow-different-crops-is-failing-rice-now-rules-92-of",
  "topic": "business",
  "section": "Business",
  "published": "2026-08-29T14:02:34.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "The Indian Express",
    "slug": "the-indian-express",
    "url": "https://indianexpress.com/article/chandigarh/punjab-paddy-cultivation-record-high-kharif-acreage-crop-diversification-failure-10854916/"
  },
  "original_language": "en",
  "account": "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.",
  "summary": null,
  "key_points": [
    "Rice dominates 92% of Punjab's Kharif cultivation area in 2026.",
    "Non-paddy Kharif crops decline by nearly 62% from 2016-17 levels.",
    "Farmers choose paddy due to procurement ecosystem and MSP assurances."
  ],
  "editors_take": null,
  "illustration": null,
  "coverage": {
    "outlets": 1,
    "also_reported_by": []
  },
  "ai_generated": true,
  "disclaimer": "Summaries, key points and the editor’s take are written by software from other outlets’ reporting and may contain errors — always check the linked original."
}