The Ministry of Agriculture and Farmers’ Welfare has released the latest progress data on the area covered under rabi crops up to December 19, 2025. According to the data, rabi sowing in the 2025–26 marketing season has recorded a notable increase compared to the same period last year. The total rabi crop area has risen to 580.70 lakh hectares, reflecting an increase of 8.12 lakh hectares over the previous year.
As per the report, wheat sowing has seen a marginal but steady rise. In 2025–26, the progressive area under wheat stands at 301.63 lakh hectares, which is 1.29 lakh hectares higher than the corresponding period last year. Rabi rice acreage has also increased to 13.35 lakh hectares, registering a growth of 1.83 lakh hectares.
The total area under pulses has increased by 3.72 lakh hectares. A significant rise has been observed in gram (chickpea) cultivation, with the area expanding to 91.70 lakh hectares, up by 4.89 lakh hectares compared to last year. However, crops such as lentil, pea, horse gram, urad, moong and a few other pulses have reported a marginal decline in acreage.
The combined area under Shree Anna and coarse cereals stands at 45.66 lakh hectares, marking an increase of 0.61 lakh hectares over the previous year. Sowing of maize and barley has increased, while the area under jowar has witnessed a slight decline.
Oilseeds Acreage on the Rise:
The total area under oilseeds has reached 93.33 lakh hectares. Mustard and rapeseed have played a key role in this growth, with their combined acreage rising to 87.80 lakh hectares, an increase of 1.23 lakh hectares year-on-year. In contrast, crops such as groundnut and linseed have seen a minor reduction in area.
Overall Rabi Crop Coverage:
Cumulatively, rabi crops in the 2025–26 season have been sown over 580.70 lakh hectares so far, compared to 572.59 lakh hectares during the same period last year. This upward trend clearly indicates increased farmer participation in rabi sowing, which is being viewed as a positive signal for agricultural production in the coming months.
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