Oilseed Sowing Area Increases by 3.52 Lakh Hectares

03-Feb-2026 09:10 PM

New Delhi: The sowing area for Rabi oilseed crops has increased by 3.52 lakh hectares, rising from 93.67 lakh hectares last year to 97.19 lakh hectares this year, which is significantly higher than the five-year average area of ​​86.78 lakh hectares.

The largest contribution comes from the most important oilseed crop, mustard, whose production area has increased by 2.79 lakh hectares from 86.57 lakh hectares last year to 89.36 lakh hectares this year. The normal average area for mustard this year is estimated at 79.17 lakh hectares, compared to which the actual area is 10.19 lakh hectares more.

According to official figures, in addition to mustard, the area under groundnut, sunflower, safflower, and linseed has also increased, and only the area under sesame is slightly behind last year's figures. During the Rabi season of 2025-26 compared to the 2024-25 season, the production area of ​​groundnut increased from 3.37 lakh hectares to 3.52 lakh hectares,

safflower sowing area increased from 64 thousand hectares to 89 thousand hectares, sunflower area improved from 56 thousand hectares to 70 thousand hectares, and linseed area improved from 1.76 lakh hectares to 1.99 lakh hectares.

On the other hand, the sowing area of ​​sesame decreased from 41 thousand hectares to 33 thousand hectares during the same period, while the production area of ​​other Rabi oilseed crops improved from 35 thousand hectares to 40 thousand hectares.

Sowing of groundnut and sesame for the extended Rabi season (Zaid season) is expected to begin soon, and harvesting will start before the sowing of the Kharif season. As a result, the area under these oilseeds is expected to improve.