Target of 15.07 Million Tonnes of Oilseeds Production in the Rabi Season

01-Jan-2026 12:25 PM

New Delhi. Supported by good mustard sowing, the total acreage under rabi oilseed crops is running ahead of last year, and weather conditions remain favorable. As a result, a healthy increase in overall oilseed production is expected. While the groundnut sowing area is still about 50,000 hectares lower than last year, linseed acreage has recovered from lower levels and has now reached parity with last year. The area under sunflower and safflower (kusum/kardi) is higher than last year. Sesame has so far been sown in a limited area, but its acreage may increase as the rabi season progresses.

The Union Ministry of Agriculture has set a target of 15.07 million tonnes of total oilseeds production for the 2025–26 rabi season, which includes a target of 13.9 million tonnes for mustard alone. It is noteworthy that mustard is the most important oilseed crop of the rabi season and contributes around 85–90 percent of total rabi oilseeds production.

According to official data, the mustard cultivation area has increased to 8.78 million hectares, which is 0.123 million hectares higher than the 8.657 million hectares sown during the same period last year. The normal average area under mustard has been fixed at 7.917 million hectares this year. Last year, the total sowing area of this key oilseed crop remained capped at 8.657 million hectares.