The sowing of gram (chickpeas) has shown a significant increase in India for the current Rabi season, driven by a rise in the minimum support price (MSP) and favorable wholesale market prices.

The central government raised the MSP of gram by Rs 210, from Rs 5,440 per quintal for the 2023-24 season to Rs 5,650 per quintal for the 2024-25 season.

This move, combined with the favorable market conditions, has spurred farmers to expand the area under gram cultivation.

According to the latest data from the Union Agriculture Ministry, the area under gram cultivation has increased by approximately 5.75 lakh hectares, rising from 80.35 lakh hectares last year to 86.09 lakh hectares this year.

However, the area still remains 15 lakh hectares below the average normal area of 101 lakh hectares. Despite this, the sowing process is still ongoing in several areas, and farmers' enthusiasm for gram cultivation remains high. As a result, it is expected that the total gram sowing area will exceed 100 lakh hectares by the end of the season.

In terms of the overall pulse crops in the Rabi season, the total sown area has increased by about 5 lakh hectares, rising from 115.70 lakh hectares in 2023-24 to 120.65 lakh hectares in 2024-25. While gram shows a notable increase, other pulses such as lentils have also experienced slight improvements in their sown areas (from 14.50 lakh hectares to 14.75 lakh hectares).

On the other hand, some pulse crops like peas, horse gram, black gram, and green gram have seen slight decreases in their cultivation areas. The area under other pulses has increased from 2.62 lakh hectares last year to 3.36 lakh hectares this year.

In summary, the government's MSP hike, coupled with favorable market conditions, has led to a noticeable increase in gram sowing, and the total area under pulses has also grown this Rabi season, though not all pulse crops have followed the same trend.