59% of Rabi Crops Harvested by April 4

14-Apr-2025 11:39 AM

New Delhi: Union Agriculture Minister Shivraj Singh Chauhan has announced that by April 4, 2025, harvesting had been completed on 59% of the total sown area of Rabi crops for the 2024–25 season (marketing year 2025–26).

As per official data, wheat has been harvested on 38% of the area, pulses on 91%, oilseeds on 87%, Shri Anna and coarse grains on 70%, and paddy on 33% of the cultivated area. Harvesting continues across the remaining regions.

The minister said wheat sowing touched 320 lakh hectares this year, and the crop condition in major producing states like Uttar Pradesh, Madhya Pradesh, Punjab, Haryana, Rajasthan, and Bihar is generally good, with better-than-average quality being reported.

The Food Ministry has set a procurement target of 313 lakh tonnes of wheat, higher than last year’s 266 lakh tonnes. Strong arrivals of the new crop have led to a dip in market prices to the MSP level.

Meanwhile, the Zaid crop season — cultivated between Rabi and Kharif — is progressing rapidly, with sowing reaching 60.22 lakh hectares, up from 52.40 lakh hectares last year.

This includes 32 lakh hectares of paddy, 11 lakh hectares of pulses, and 7.35 lakh hectares of oilseeds. Sowing is now nearing completion, while Rabi harvesting will continue until May.