Sowing of India’s rabi crops almost complete
The overall acreage was 10 per cent higher until November 14 from the year-ago period
| Photo Credit:
KAMAL NARANG
The total area under all rabi crops as of December 26 increased to 614.30 lakh hectares (lh) against 607.43 lh a year ago, according to the latest weekly update released by the Agriculture Ministry on Monday, with about 33 lh covered in the past week, the current coverage is over 96 per cent of the season’s normal area (last five years’ average) of 637.81lh.
The rabi acreage, which was 1.4 per cent higher as of December 19, has shrunk its lead further over the year ago period to 1.1 per cent. The production last year was a record high in many winter crops, including wheat. This year, too, may witness similar level of harvests due to conducive weather conditions, so far.
The overall acreage was 10 per cent higher until November 14 from the year-ago period. Foodgrains production was a record high of 169.17 million tonnes (mt), and that of oilseeds was 13.64 mt out of an area of 659.39 lakh hectare (lh) in the 2024-25 rabi season.
Record high wheat acreage?
The area under winter’s key cereal wheat was 322.68 lh against 322.49 lh a year ago. The normal area of wheat is 312.35 lh and last year, the planting reached an all time high of 328.04 lh. Scientists expect this year’s wheat acreage to set another record.
In pulses, which reached 133.44 lh against 129.79 lh a year ago (up 3 per cent), the area under chana (gram) was 95.88 lh against 91.22 lh, up by 5.1 per cent and masur (lentil) acreage was 17.06 lh against 16.85 lh.
Oilseeds acreage was 94.29 lh as of December 26, up by 1.1 per cent from 93.25 lh, and it included coverage of 87.80 lh under mustard, which was 1.4 per cent more than 86.57 lh a year ago, the data show.
The sowing area under rabi season’s paddy was 14.5 per cent higher at 14.90 lh from 13.01 lh and maize 4 per cent more at 20.92 lh from 20.12 lh. Barley acreage was at 6.78 lh from 6.08 lh year-ago whereas its normal area is 5.63 lh. Experts said that there is scope for maize area to go up even though farmers have received very low rates as sowing window for others crops is already over.
Grain output target
Jowar acreage reached at 20.38 lh, 7.4 per cent down from 22 lh, taking the total acreage under nutri/coarse cereals to 49 lh, a tad higher from 48.89 lh.
The government has fixed a target of 171.14 million tonnes (mt) of foodgrains which include 119 mt of wheat, 15.86 mt of rice, 16.57 mt of pulses, 3.17 mt of nutri cereals, 14.5 mt of maize and 2.05 mt of barley, as well as 15.07 mt of oilseeds (including 13.9 mt of mustard).
Published on December 29, 2025
