India’s Rabi 2025-26 Sowing Gains Momentum with Strong Wheat and Oilseed Coverage
26 November 2025, New Delhi: As of 21 November 2025, India’s Rabi sowing season is progressing at a robust pace, with the total sown area reaching 306.31 lakh hectares, significantly higher than the 272.78 lakh hectares covered during the same period in 2024-25. According to the latest update from the Ministry of Agriculture & Farmers Welfare, the increase of 33.53 lakh hectares underscores improved field conditions, timely market signals, favourable soil moisture, and proactive government advisories that have collectively pushed early sowing across major states.
This year’s sowing progress also reflects a stronger alignment with the normal Rabi area of 637.81 lakh hectares, with wheat, pulses, coarse cereals, and oilseeds all contributing to the early-season surge.
Wheat Leads Rabi Sowing Growth with Over 21 Lakh ha Increase
Wheat continues to remain the backbone of India’s Rabi season. With a normal Rabi area of 312.35 lakh hectares, the crop has already covered 128.37 lakh hectares, outpacing last year’s 107.09 lakh hectares by 21.27 lakh hectares. The progress suggests that wheat-growing states such as Uttar Pradesh, Madhya Pradesh, Rajasthan, and Haryana have made swift use of residual moisture from a good monsoon and have responded positively to MSP incentives and improved early-sown varieties.
The early lead in wheat sowing also indicates better soil preparation and efficient mechanisation, especially in regions where farmers adopted zero-tillage drills and precision seeders.
Rice (Rabi) Records Moderate Gains
Rabi rice, cultivated mainly in eastern and southern India, has covered 8.26 lakh hectares, marking a modest rise from 7.59 lakh hectares in 2024-25. The increase of 0.67 lakh hectares suggests a steady pattern rather than an exceptional expansion. States such as Andhra Pradesh, Odisha, Tamil Nadu, and West Bengal are expected to continue contributing to the Rabi rice acreage over the coming weeks.
Pulses Register Healthy Expansion Driven by Gram and Lentil
Pulses have shown a notable rise in area coverage, reaching 73.36 lakh hectares, up from 68.15 lakh hectares last year. This increase of 5.21 lakh hectares highlights the continuing shift towards protein-rich crops and improved market confidence due to high domestic demand.
Gram, which accounts for the majority of the pulses basket, has reached 53.71 lakh hectares, increasing from 49.30 lakh hectares and recording a growth of 4.41 lakh hectares. Lentil sowing has also improved with 9.01 lakh hectares, compared with 8.57 lakh hectares last year, indicating better adoption in states such as Madhya Pradesh and Uttar Pradesh.
Fieldpea and Kulthi have seen marginal but positive increases, rising to 5.58 lakh hectares and 1.11 lakh hectaresrespectively. However, some pulses reported a decline. Urdbean dropped from 0.99 to 0.88 lakh hectares, Moongbean slightly decreased to 0.07 lakh hectares, and Lathyrus and other minor pulses also recorded small contractions. These reductions are attributed to shifts in land allocation towards more remunerative crops in certain regions.
Shri Anna (Millets) and Coarse Cereals Continue Upward Momentum
Shri Anna and other coarse cereals have expanded to 19.69 lakh hectares, a rise from 17.26 lakh hectares in the previous year. This 2.44 lakh hectare growth is consistent with India’s millet-promotion campaigns and increasing farmer awareness about climate-resilient crops.
Jowar has reached 8.99 lakh hectares, showing an increase of 0.56 lakh hectares over last year. Ragi, which is crucial for dryland regions, has advanced to 0.49 lakh hectares, up from 0.38 lakh hectares. Small millets have exhibited a marked increase from 0.03 to 0.11 lakh hectares, reflecting greater adoption in tribal and semi-arid belts. Maize has expanded significantly with 6.57 lakh hectares, up from 5.38 lakh hectares, marking an increase of 1.19 lakh hectares, driven by demand from the feed and processing industries. Barley, another important winter cereal, has covered 3.50 lakh hectares, compared with 3.00 lakh hectares last year.
Oilseeds Show Strong Performance with Mustard Dominating the Expansion
Oilseed crops have recorded one of the most promising increases of the season. The overall oilseed coverage stands at 76.64 lakh hectares, higher than the 72.69 lakh hectares sown during the same period last year, marking an increase of 3.94 lakh hectares.
Rapeseed-mustard, which normally occupies 79.17 lakh hectares, has shown a substantial surge, reaching 73.80 lakh hectares, compared with 69.58 lakh hectares in 2024-25. This increase of 4.22 lakh hectares highlights sustained farmer interest driven by stable prices, strong oil demand, and widespread use of high-yielding mustard hybrids.
Safflower has nearly doubled its area from 0.22 to 0.46 lakh hectares, while sunflower has also moved upward to 0.16 lakh hectares. Groundnut’s Rabi coverage has slightly declined to 1.12 lakh hectares, and linseed has fallen from 1.39 to 0.98 lakh hectares, indicating crop substitution in some pockets. Sesamum remains stable at 0.02 lakh hectares.
Overall Outlook for Rabi 2025-26
The cumulative sowing of 306.31 lakh hectares, against last year’s 272.78 lakh hectares, reflects a strong start to the Rabi 2025-26 season. Higher wheat, mustard, gram, and maize acreages are shaping the early agricultural outlook positively. The trends indicate that farmers are responding effectively to market signals, MSP assurances, improved seed availability, and better early-season field conditions.
As December approaches, the sowing momentum is expected to continue, especially for wheat, pulses, and oilseeds, which typically peak by mid-December across major growing belts. Weather conditions in the coming weeks will remain crucial for the final acreage as well as early crop establishment.
Progress of Area Coverage Under Rabi Crops (Area in lakh hectares)
| S. No. | Crops | Normal Rabi Area (DES) | Area Sown 2025-26 | Area Sown 2024-25 | Increase (+) / Decrease (-) over 2024-25 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Wheat | 312.35 | 128.37 | 107.09 | 21.27 |
| 2 | Rice * | 42.93 | 8.26 | 7.59 | 0.67 |
| 3 | Pulses | 140.42 | 73.36 | 68.15 | 5.21 |
| a | Gram | 100.99 | 53.71 | 49.30 | 4.41 |
| b | Lentil | 15.13 | 9.01 | 8.57 | 0.44 |
| c | Fieldpea $ | 6.50 | 5.58 | 4.80 | 0.78 |
| d | Kulthi $ | 1.98 | 1.11 | 1.03 | 0.08 |
| e | Urdbean * | 6.16 | 0.88 | 0.99 | -0.11 |
| f | Moongbean * | 1.41 | 0.07 | 0.09 | -0.03 |
| g | Lathyrus $ | 2.79 | 1.58 | 1.75 | -0.17 |
| h | Other Pulses $ | 5.46 | 1.43 | 1.62 | -0.19 |
| 4 | Shri Anna & Coarse Cereals | 55.33 | 19.69 | 17.26 | 2.44 |
| a | Jowar * | 24.62 | 8.99 | 8.43 | 0.56 |
| b | Bajra # | 0.59 | 0.04 | 0.03 | 0.01 |
| c | Ragi # | 0.72 | 0.49 | 0.38 | 0.11 |
| d | Small Millets # | 0.16 | 0.11 | 0.03 | 0.07 |
| e | Maize * | 23.61 | 6.57 | 5.38 | 1.19 |
| f | Barley | 5.63 | 3.50 | 3.00 | 0.50 |
| 5 | Oilseeds | 86.78 | 76.64 | 72.69 | 3.94 |
| a | Rapeseed & Mustard | 79.17 | 73.80 | 69.58 | 4.22 |
| b | Groundnut * | 3.69 | 1.12 | 1.27 | -0.15 |
| c | Safflower | 0.72 | 0.46 | 0.22 | 0.24 |
| d | Sunflower * | 0.79 | 0.16 | 0.12 | 0.04 |
| e | Sesamum * | 0.48 | 0.02 | 0.02 | 0.00 |
| f | Linseed | 1.93 | 0.98 | 1.39 | -0.41 |
| g | Other Oilseeds | 0.00 | 0.09 | 0.09 | -0.01 |
| Total Crops | 637.81 | 306.31 | 272.78 | 33.53 |
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