Lentil production expected to be better than last year

11-Mar-2026 07:44 PM

New Delhi. Lentil production, a key pulse of the Rabi season, is expected to be better this year than last year. The area under cultivation increased slightly, while weather conditions remained nearly normal. The average crop yield is not expected to improve significantly.

According to the Union Agriculture Ministry, domestic lentil production is projected to improve to 17.33 lakh tonnes during the current Rabi season of 2025-26, which is 79 thousand tonnes more than the 2024-25 season's production of 16.54 lakh tonnes,

but 58 thousand tonnes less than the 2023-24 season's production of 17.91 lakh tonnes. Previously, lentil production was estimated at 15.59 lakh tonnes in the 2022-23 season and 12.69 lakh tonnes in 2021-22.

Madhya Pradesh and Uttar Pradesh are the two major lentil producing states. Lentils are produced extensively in the Bundelkhand region bordering these states. It is also cultivated extensively in Bihar and Bengal, with limited production in some other states.