Farmers' interest in sowing coarse grains is gradually increasing

11-Nov-2025 11:44 AM

New Delhi. During the Rabi season, among the coarse grains, sorghum, maize, and barley are cultivated on a large area, while ragi and small millets are cultivated on a smaller area. Bajra is also sown on a limited area.

According to data from the Union Agriculture Ministry, the total area under coarse grains in the current Rabi season,

as of November 7, has improved to 10.13 lakh hectares, an increase of 1.11 lakh hectares or 10 percent from the sown area of ​​9.02 lakh hectares during the same period last year. During the period under review,

the area under sorghum production improved from 5.26 lakh hectares to 5.28 lakh hectares, maize from 2.83 lakh hectares to 3.21 lakh hectares, barley from 51 thousand hectares to 1.12 lakh hectares, and ragi from 38 thousand hectares to 47 thousand hectares. The area under millet and small millets remained stable at 2,000 hectares and 3,000 hectares respectively.

Due to a sharp decline in the domestic market price of maize, there were indications of a decrease in its sowing area, but now there has been some increase.

Farmers are expected to once again be enthusiastic and attracted towards the cultivation of barley, a major coarse grain of the Rabi season,

as they received better income from the previous crop. The climatic conditions are favourable for the cultivation of Rabi crops, hence farmers are finding it easier to select crops.