Area Under Summer Crops Reaches 81.60 Lakh Hectares
05-May-2026 12:08 PM
New Delhi. Compared to last year, a significant increase is being observed in the acreage of summer, or *Zaid*, season crops during the current year. The sowing season has now largely concluded. Cultivation of *Kharif* crops is set to commence next month.
The latest weekly data from the Union Ministry of Agriculture reveals that the total area under *Zaid* crops has risen by 3.3 percent—from 79 lakh hectares last year—to reach 81.60 lakh hectares this time around. During the period under review, although the area under paddy declined from 32.42 lakh hectares to 31.05 lakh hectares, the sowing area for pulses improved from 22.76 lakh hectares to 23.49 lakh hectares; the acreage for coarse cereals jumped from 14.25 lakh hectares to 16.01 lakh hectares; and the area under oilseed crops expanded from 9.58 lakh hectares to reach 11.04 lakh hectares.
Within the pulses category, while the area under *Moong* (green gram) slipped from 19 lakh hectares to 18.99 lakh hectares, the sowing area for *Urad* (black gram) increased from 3.58 lakh hectares to reach 4.20 lakh hectares. Additionally, certain other pulses were also sown across limited areas.
Among coarse cereals, the sowing area for *Bajra* (pearl millet) improved from 5.20 lakh hectares to 5.40 lakh hectares, and the area under maize cultivation rose from 8.50 lakh hectares to reach 10 lakh hectares; while other cereal crops were also cultivated, the acreage involved was significantly smaller.
In the oilseeds category, the area under groundnut cultivation expanded from 4.20 lakh hectares last year to reach 5.51 lakh hectares this time, and the sowing area for sesame (*Til*) improved from 4.96 lakh hectares to reach 5.07 lakh hectares. The sowing of most crops typically takes place between February and April. Occasionally, this timeframe extends up to the first week of May. There has been a significant increase in the acreage under various crops, raising expectations of an improvement in overall production.