1 Dec 2025
India’s rabi crop sowing has gained strong momentum this season, with total acreage rising 12% year-on-year to 306.31 lakh hectares as of November 21, driven by a sharp expansion in wheat planting. Wheat acreage alone increased by 19% to 128.37 lakh hectares compared with 107.79 lakh hectares a year ago, marking a robust start for the country’s most important winter crop. Officials expect that by the end of this week, nearly half of the normal rabi sowing area of 637.81 lakh hectares will be covered.
The increase in sowing has been supported by two key factors: abundant soil moisture following extended southwest monsoon rains into October and surplus northeast monsoon rainfall, and strong water storage levels in major reservoirs, currently filled to nearly 90% of capacity. Together with higher minimum support prices (MSP) and early kharif harvests, these conditions have encouraged farmers to begin rabi planting earlier and more aggressively.
According to IMD data, post-monsoon rainfall between October 1 and November 19 was 27% above normal, with northwestern India receiving more than double the usual precipitation and central India recording 52% excess rainfall.
Pulses acreage expanded by nearly 8% to 73.36 lakh hectares, led by a 9% rise in gram (chana) sowing, which accounts for over 70% of rabi pulses. Lentil coverage also grew, while urad, moong, lathyrus, and a few smaller pulses trailed behind last year’s levels.
Nutri-cereals and coarse grains posted strong gains as well. Maize acreage climbed to 6.57 lakh hectares despite prices ruling below MSP, contributing to a 14% increase in overall nutri-cereal sowing. Jowar registered a notable expansion, while barley, bajra, small millets, and ragi also improved their coverage.
In the oilseeds segment, mustard/rapeseed continued to dominate with a 6% rise in acreage to 73.8 lakh hectares, pushing total oilseed coverage up by 5.4% to 76.64 lakh hectares. Groundnut saw a slight decline, while most other oilseeds recorded acreage gains.
With strong moisture levels, supportive pricing, and favourable climatic conditions, India’s rabi cropping season is off to a significantly stronger start than last year, raising expectations for a healthy winter harvest.