The Department of Agriculture reports that as of July 8, 2024, the area sown with guar in Rajasthan is 9.37 lakh hectares, a 5.4% decrease from the same period last year, which recorded 9.90 lakh hectares. This year’s sowing is also significantly below the 5-year average of 27.6 lakh hectares.

In Gujarat, the sowing progress has similarly declined, standing at 0.01 lakh hectares compared to 0.03 lakh hectares during the previous season.

The primary reasons for the reduced sowing in both states are the bearish guar prices in the previous season and a shift to major crops such as moong, moth, and bajra, which provided better returns to the farmers. Additionally, the anticipated above-normal monsoon is likely to support these major crops, potentially leading to lower guar acreage for the current 2024-25 kharif season.