New Delhi, Oct. 13 -- Union Minister for Agriculture & Farmers' Welfare and Rural Development Shivraj Singh Chouhan chaired a high-level meeting on Sunday to review the overall status of the agriculture sector.

The discussions focused on Kharif crop conditions, Rabi sowing preparedness, flood-affected areas, price trends, fertiliser availability, and reservoir storage levels.

Officials reported that the total area under Kharif crops has increased by 6.51 lakh hectares compared to last year, reaching 1,121.46 lakh hectares against 1,114.95 lakh hectares in 2024-25.

Sowing of major crops including wheat, paddy, maize, sugarcane, and pulses has risen over the previous year. Notably, urad (black gram) cultivation has increased from 22.87 l...