Higher Sowing, Good Weather Aid Mustard Crop
27-Jan-2026 03:46 PM
New Delhi: The sowing area for mustard, the most important oilseed crop of the Rabi season, has seen a significant increase this year as expected, and weather conditions are generally favorable. Given this, domestic mustard production is estimated to increase by at least 10 percent.
However, reports of strong winds, rain, and hailstorms in northwestern India raise concerns about potential damage to the mustard crop. Hailstorms were reported in several areas on January 27 (today).
According to data from the Central Ministry of Agriculture, the mustard sowing area increased by 3.2 percent from 86.57 lakh hectares in the 2024-25 season to 89.36 lakh hectares in the 2025-26 Rabi season.
In the 2024-25 season, the government estimated total mustard production at 126.67 lakh tonnes, while a target of 139 lakh tonnes has been set for the current 2025-26 season. It is worth noting that domestic mustard production declined by more than 4 percent during the 2024-25 season compared to the 2023-24 season.
Today, January 27, 2026, heavy rainfall and hailstorms are occurring in Uttar Pradesh, Punjab, Haryana, Rajasthan, Delhi, and Chandigarh, while snowfall and rain are reported in Jammu and Kashmir, Uttarakhand, and Himachal Pradesh.
It is noteworthy that Rajasthan ranks first in mustard production, followed by Uttar Pradesh (second) and Haryana (fourth), while Madhya Pradesh is third, West Bengal fifth, and Gujarat sixth. Besides these, other states including Bihar, Assam, and Punjab also produce a significant amount of mustard.
A former director of the Indian Institute of Mustard Research, Bharatpur, says that the crop condition generally looks very good, which could lead to increased production.
The absence of dense fog and mist could lead to improved crop yields. According to available data, compared to last year, the area under mustard cultivation during the 2025-26 season increased by 1 percent in Rajasthan to 35.35 lakh hectares,
by 4 percent in Uttar Pradesh to 16.99 lakh hectares, and by 4.1 percent in Madhya Pradesh to 11.79 lakh hectares. The government is now planning to increase the area under mustard cultivation in Chhattisgarh to 1 lakh hectares.