News Capsule: Rabi Crop Sowing Nears Completion
20-Jan-2026 10:56 AM
News Capsule: Rabi Crop Sowing Nears Completion
★ According to official data, as of January 16, wheat sowing increased by 1.9% year-on-year to 334.17 lakh hectares, paddy by 11.4% to 25.58 lakh hectares, pulses by 2.8% to 137.00 lakh hectares, coarse cereals by 3.8% to 58.72 lakh hectares, oilseeds by 3.8% to 96.86 lakh hectares, while the total sown area rose by 2.8% to 652.33 lakh hectares.
★ Every year, sowing figures for almost all crops show an increase, raising questions about what kind of “magic wand” the government has that keeps expanding the sown area.
★ Over the past few years, agricultural land has also been converted for industrial use, yet sowing area data continue to show consistent increases.
★ Within the pulses segment, chickpea (gram) area increased by 5.1% to 95.88 lakh hectares, while lentil sowing rose by 2.8% to 18.12 lakh hectares.
★ Mustard sowing increased by 3.2% year-on-year to 89.36 lakh hectares, while maize area rose by 7.4% to 27.55 lakh hectares.
★ The largest increase was reported in barley, with sowing jumping 33% to 7.73 lakh hectares.