Area under Rabi pulse crops increases by 3.75 lakh hectares
12-Jan-2026 09:02 PM
New Delhi. Sowing of Rabi pulse crops is almost complete, with only scattered cultivation still taking place in some areas.
The latest weekly data from the Central Ministry of Agriculture shows that the total area under pulse crops in the current Rabi season, as of January 9, 2026, has increased to 136.36 lakh hectares,
which is 2.75 lakh hectares more than the sowing area of 192.61 lakh hectares during the same period last year, but 4.06 lakh hectares less than the five-year average area of 140.42 lakh hectares. In the entire Rabi season of the previous year, pulses were cultivated on 134.08 lakh hectares.
According to official figures, compared to last year, the area under the most prominent pulse crop, gram, increased from 91.22 lakh hectares to 95.88 lakh hectares in the current Rabi season.
The sowing area for lentils increased from 17.66 lakh hectares to 18.12 lakh hectares, and the area under khesari improved from 2.92 lakh hectares to 2.98 lakh hectares.
On the other hand, during the same period, the area under peas decreased from 8.27 lakh hectares to 7.92 lakh hectares, the sowing area for horse gram decreased from 2.41 lakh hectares to 1.98 lakh hectares,
and the area under black gram fell from 4.70 lakh hectares to 4.37 lakh hectares. Furthermore, the area under green gram slipped from 76 thousand hectares to 74 thousand hectares, and the area under other pulses decreased from 4.67 lakh hectares to 4.37 lakh hectares.
Compared to the previous week, there was no significant change in the sowing area of most pulse crops during the week ending January 9, which clearly indicates that the sowing process has been completed. Some sowing of black gram took place in South India.
The area under gram, lentils, and peas remained at the same level as the previous week. Dense fog has been observed in states like Rajasthan, Punjab, Haryana, Uttar Pradesh, and Bihar for the past few days, while hailstorms have also been reported in some parts of Rajasthan.