Strong Enthusiasm Among Farmers for Lentil Sowing

Jhansi. Farmers are showing significant interest and active participation in the cultivation of lentils—the second most important pulse crop of the Rabi season. As a result, the area under cultivation reached 4.54 lakh hectares by November 6, an increase of 15,000 hectares compared to the 4.39 lakh hectares recorded during the same period last year.

The bulk of lentil production takes place in the Bundelkhand region, which straddles the states of Madhya Pradesh and Uttar Pradesh. In Uttar Pradesh, the key producing districts include Jhansi, Mahoba, Banda, Hamirpur, Lalitpur, Jalaun, and Kanpur. Lentils are also produced in significant quantities in Bihar and West Bengal, with smaller-scale cultivation occurring in several other states.

Conditions in the major producing regions are currently favorable for sowing, and market prices for the crop have risen. Meanwhile, India is also importing large quantities of lentils from Canada and Australia.