📷 Image: Wikimedia Commons / Basile Morin
Agriculture
Punjab's Monsoon Rainfall Down 41%, Yet Paddy Area Hits Record 3.28 Million Hectares
✍️ Amar Ujala · Jalandhar
🗓 06 Oct 2026, 06:31 AM
👁 10
The state recorded only 258.7 mm of rain from June to September, 41% below normal, while paddy cultivation expanded to a historic 3.28 million hectares.
Punjab received 258.7 millimetres of rainfall between June and September this year, a shortfall of 41 per cent compared with the long‑term average of 438.8 mm. The deficit has left large tracts of farmland with dry sub‑soil, and groundwater levels in several districts have sunk to as much as 300 feet below the surface.
Despite the water shortage, the state’s paddy acreage surged to a record 32.76 lakh hectares, reflecting farmers’ confidence in the crop’s profitability and the availability of irrigation schemes. The expansion comes amid concerns that the shallow water table could jeopardise yields if the monsoon does not improve.
Agricultural officials warned that the combination of below‑average rain and deepening groundwater could strain the upcoming cropping season, urging farmers to adopt water‑saving practices and consider alternative crops where feasible.
Despite the water shortage, the state’s paddy acreage surged to a record 32.76 lakh hectares, reflecting farmers’ confidence in the crop’s profitability and the availability of irrigation schemes. The expansion comes amid concerns that the shallow water table could jeopardise yields if the monsoon does not improve.
Agricultural officials warned that the combination of below‑average rain and deepening groundwater could strain the upcoming cropping season, urging farmers to adopt water‑saving practices and consider alternative crops where feasible.