Wheat Acreage May Surpass Normal Levels in Coming Years
30-Oct-2025 05:37 PM
New Delhi. Excess rainfall and devastating floods in Punjab and Haryana have significantly damaged Kharif crops, especially paddy crops.
Therefore, farmers may attempt to compensate for this shortfall by increasing wheat sowing area and production in the current Rabi season.
Meanwhile, the Madhya Pradesh government has announced an additional bonus of ₹115 per quintal above the Minimum Support Price (MSP) for wheat producers in the state. Since the central government has increased the MSP for wheat by ₹160 from ₹2,425 per quintal to ₹2,585 per quintal, farmers in Madhya Pradesh will receive a price of ₹2,700 per quintal.
Rajasthan may also announce an additional bonus for wheat procurement. In the 2024-25 season, farmers were given an additional bonus of ₹175 per quintal above the MSP in Madhya Pradesh and ₹150 per quintal in Rajasthan, leading to a significant increase in wheat procurement for the central pool.
The national five-year average area under wheat cultivation for the current Rabi season of 2025-26 is estimated at 312.35 lakh hectares, but given the high support price, guaranteed procurement, and favorable weather conditions, the total area under wheat cultivation is projected to be higher.
It is believed that mustard and gram may somewhat reduce farmers' enthusiasm and interest in wheat cultivation in Uttar Pradesh, but this reduction can easily be compensated by improved sowing in other states.
Wheat acreage in other producing states, including Bihar, Gujarat, and Maharashtra, is expected to remain around last year's level.
Weather conditions remain favorable for sowing wheat, the most important food grain of the Rabi season. Delayed monsoon rains have provided adequate moisture in the fields, and there is also abundant water in dams and reservoirs.
This will ensure farmers do not face any inconvenience in early sowing. The pace of sowing is expected to pick up soon in Punjab, Haryana, and western Uttar Pradesh. The government is making elaborate arrangements to ensure adequate availability of fertilizers and seeds. Wheat sowing has already begun in some areas.