# India’s cultivable land shrinks, crop area climbs 2026-08-07T15:05:47+00:00 | Governance | Indian Opinion Desk Corroboration: 1 independent outlet India's total cultivable land has declined for three straight years, the government told Rajya Sabha. It fell from 179.98 million hectares (mh) in 2022-23 to 179.43 mh in 2024-25, according to the Land Use Statistics 2024-25 cited by Union Minister Ramnath Thakur. Yet the gross cropped area jumped from 198.28 mh in 2014-15 to 225.19 mh in 2024-25, driven by a rise in cropping intensity from 142.2% to 159.7%, meaning the same land is being used more often through multiple crops. Foodgrain production also rose to 376.56 mt (advance estimate for 2025-26) from 252.02 mt in 2014-15. Separately, the minister said makhana production in 2025-26 reached 80,590 tonnes, with Bihar leading at 60,000 tonnes. A new high-yield variety, Swarna Vaidehi, gives 28-30 quintals per hectare, nearly double the conventional yield. ## Coverage - thehindubusinessline.com Tags: agriculture policy, cropping intensity, cultivable land, foodgrain production, gross cropped area, makhana Canonical: https://indianopinion.org/indias-cultivable-land-shrinks-crop-area-climbs/ License: Summary and commentary (c) Indian Opinion, reusable with attribution. Facts belong to the linked sources. Cite: https://indianopinion.org/indias-cultivable-land-shrinks-crop-area-climbs/#story-in-brief Review state: restored archive article, accurate at time of publication, not offered to search indexes.