Crop Report
Rabi acreage rises 2.8% on yr to 64.43 mln ha; wheat area up 2%
This story was originally published at 17:50 IST on 12 January 2026
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--India rabi acreage 64.43 mln ha as of Fri vs 62.66 mln ha year ago
--India rabi wheat acreage 33.42 mln ha as of Fri vs 32.80 mln ha year ago
--India rabi pulses acreage 13.64 mln ha as of Fri vs 13.26 mln ha year ago
--India rabi oilseeds acreage 9.7 mln ha as of Fri vs 9.3 mln ha year ago
--India rabi coarse cereals acreage 5.52 mln ha as of Fri vs 5.32 mln yr ago
--India rabi paddy acreage 2.17 mln ha as of Fri vs 1.95 mln ha year ago
--India rabi chana acreage 9.6 mln ha as of Fri vs 9.1 mln ha year ago
--India rabi masur acreage 1.81 mln ha as of Fri vs 1.77 mln ha year ago
--India rabi urad acreage 437,000 ha as of Fri vs 470,000 ha year ago
--India rabi moong acreage 74,000 ha as of Fri vs 76,000 ha year ago
--India rabi jowar acreage 2.14 mln ha as of Fri vs 2.27 mln ha year ago
--India rabi mustard acreage 8.94 mln ha as of Fri vs 8.66 mln ha year ago
--India rabi groundnut acreage 352,000 ha as of Fri vs 337,000 ha year ago
--India rabi maize acreage 2.52 mln ha as of Fri vs 2.35 mln ha year ago
--India rabi barley acreage 736,000 ha as of Fri vs 608,000 ha year ago
MUMBAI – The area sown under rabi crops across India was 64.43 million hectares as of Friday, up 2.8% from 62.66 million hectares a year ago, according to a release from the agriculture ministry Monday. The acreage under wheat was up nearly 2% to 33.42 million hectares compared with 32.80 million hectares in the corresponding period a year ago. Wheat, the biggest rabi crop, is grown only in the rabi season in India.
The acreage under paddy was 2.17 million hectares as of Friday, an increase of 11.4% from 1.95 million hectares last year. The area under coarse cereals, promoted as "Shri Anna" by the government, stood at 5.52 million hectares, up from 5.32 million hectares a year ago.
Within coarse cereals, acreage under jowar, or sorghum, was down almost 6% at 2.14 million hectares, while maize was up 7.4% at 2.52 million hectares as of Friday. Acreage under ragi, a millet, rose nearly 39% on year to 97,000 hectares.
The total area sown under pulses in the rabi season was 13.64 million hectares, up 2.8% from 13.26 million hectares a year ago. Among key pulses, chana acreage rose over 5.1% to 9.59 million hectares from 9.12 million hectares a year ago and area sown under masur was up 2.6% at 1.81 million hectares as of Friday. Acreage under urad fell to 437,000 hectares from 470,000 hectares a year ago and moong fell to 74,000 hectares from 76,000 hectares a year ago.
The total area under oilseeds was 9.69 million hectares as of Friday, up 3.8% from 9.33 million hectares a year ago. Groundnut acreage rose 4.5% on year to 352,000 hectares, while acreage under mustard, the largest winter oilseed, rose over 3.2% to 8.94 million hectares from 8.66 million hectares a year ago. Sunflower acreage rose 31% to 55,000 hectares, according to the release.
The following table details the sowing of key rabi crops, in hectares, compared with year-ago levels, and the year-on-year change in percentage terms as of Friday:
| Crop | 2025–26 | 2024–25 | Change (%) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Wheat | 33,417,000 | 32,804,000 | 1.9 |
| Rice | 2,171,000 | 1,949,000 | 11.4 |
| Pulses (Total) | 13,636,000 | 13,261,000 | 2.8 |
| Chana | 9,588,000 | 9,122,000 | 5.1 |
| Masur | 1,812,000 | 1,766,000 | 2.6 |
| Urad | 437,000 | 470,000 | (-)7 |
| Moong | 74,000 | 76,000 | (-)2.6 |
| Shri Anna & Coarse Cereals (Total) | 5,520,000 | 5,317,000 | 3.8 |
| Jowar | 2,136,000 | 2,266,000 | (-)5.7 |
| Ragi | 97,000 | 70,000 | 38.6 |
| Maize | 2,524,000 | 2,349,000 | 7.4 |
| Barley | 736,000 | 608,000 | 21 |
| Oilseeds (Total) | 9,686,000 | 9,333,000 | 3.8 |
| Rapeseed & Mustard | 8,936,000 | 8,657,000 | 3.2 |
| Groundnut | 352,000 | 337,000 | 4.5 |
| Sunflower | 55,000 | 42,000 | 30.9 |
| Other Oilseeds | 40,000 | 35,000 | 14.3 |
| Total Crops | 64,429,000 | 62,664,000 | 2.8 |
* Totals may not tally as some minor crops have been omitted.
End
Reported by Taniva Singha Roy
Edited by Saji George Titus
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