Summer Crop Sowing Area Rises to 68.80 Lakh Hectares

22-Apr-2025 07:18 PM

New Delhi. The sowing of summer (zaid) crops is nearing completion, with the total sown area reaching 68.80 lakh hectares as of April 18, according to the latest data from the Union Agriculture Ministry.

This marks an increase of 9.07 lakh hectares compared to 59.73 lakh hectares during the same period last year, although still slightly below the normal average of 71.34 lakh hectares.

Among key crops, summer paddy area rose from 27.60 to 31.57 lakh hectares, pulses from 13.44 to 16.56 lakh hectares, coarse grains including Shri Anna from 9.92 to 11.51 lakh hectares, and oilseeds from 8.77 to 9.16 lakh hectares.

In pulses, moong sowing increased from 10.96 to 13.66 lakh hectares, and urad from 2.30 to 2.71 lakh hectares, while other pulses remained steady at 18 thousand hectares.

In coarse cereals, maize saw a jump from 5.32 to 6.85 lakh hectares, and sorghum from 31 to 42 thousand hectares. However, millet slipped from 4.11 to 4.08 lakh hectares, and ragi from 18 to 13 thousand hectares.

Among oilseeds, groundnut increased from 4.11 to 4.31 lakh hectares, sesame from 4.18 to 4.43 lakh hectares, and sunflower from 31 to 36 thousand hectares, while other oilseeds fell from 17 to 6 thousand hectares.

Sowing began in February and is expected to continue until mid-May, with harvesting of early crops likely to begin by next month.