Rabi Crop Sowing Area Reaches Nearly 677 Lakh Hectares

03-Feb-2026 11:32 AM

New Delhi: With the sowing process almost complete at the national level, official figures now show that the total area under Rabi crops has increased to a record high of 676.84 lakh hectares.

This is 15.88 lakh hectares more than last year's total sown area of ​​660.96 lakh hectares and 39.08 lakh hectares more than the five-year average area of ​​687.81 lakh hectares.

A notable feature of this year's sowing is the increase in the area under all categories of crops. According to the latest weekly data from the Central Ministry of Agriculture, as of January 30, 2026, the area under wheat cultivation during the current Rabi season has increased from 328.04 lakh hectares to 334.17 lakh hectares compared to last year. 

The area under paddy cultivation has improved from 44.73 lakh hectares to 45 lakh hectares, the area under pulses has increased from 134.52 lakh hectares to 139.55 lakh hectares,

and the area under oilseed crops has risen from 93.67 lakh hectares to 97.19 lakh hectares. The area under coarse grains has also improved from 59.99 lakh hectares to 60.93 lakh hectares.

Among pulse crops, the area under gram and lentil has increased.  Among coarse grains, the area under maize and barley has increased, and among oilseed crops, the area under mustard and groundnut has also increased.

Since sowing of most Rabi crops was completed earlier, the area under these crops improved on a weekly basis and surpassed last year's figures.