India’s rabi sowing falls 46% to 37.56 lakh hectares; wheat acreage plunges 94%

India's rabi crop sowing has fallen sharply behind last year's pace, with the total area covered declining 45.6% to 37.56 lakh hectares as of October 30, compared with 69.02 lakh hectares during the corresponding period last year. According to data released by the Union Agriculture Ministry, delayed planting across wheat, pulses and oilseeds has raised concerns over the progress of the winter cropping season.

The slowdown has been attributed primarily to inadequate soil moisture following a deficient monsoon, along with high daytime temperatures and limited irrigation availability in several agricultural regions. Although rabi sowing typically gains momentum during October and November, farmers in several areas have delayed planting while waiting for more favourable weather conditions.

READ THIS: Food inflation risk returns: Which essential food items could become costlier after a weak monsoon?

Rabi crops, including wheat, gram, mustard and lentils, are generally cultivated during the winter months and harvested between March and April. Their production is important for India's food supply, agricultural incomes and the availability of essential food commodities.

Wheat, pulses and oilseeds record steep declines

Wheat sowing has barely begun, covering just 19,000 hectares as of October 30, against 3.34 lakh hectares during the same period last year. The crop is generally sown between October and November and harvested in March and April. During the 2025-26 crop year, wheat was cultivated across 336 lakh hectares, highlighting its importance to India's agricultural output.

The slowdown has also affected pulses and oilseeds. The area under pulses declined by around 52% to 9.45 lakh hectares from 19.56 lakh hectares a year earlier. Gram cultivation fell nearly 59% to 5.90 lakh hectares from 14.35 lakh hectares, while lentil acreage dropped to 1.10 lakh hectares from 2.14 lakh hectares.

DON'T MISS: After Cyclone Arnab, fresh storm threat raises concerns over flooding and crop damage

Oilseed sowing declined to 20.97 lakh hectares from 38.62 lakh hectares, a fall of approximately 46%. Rapeseed and mustard, key winter oilseed crops, covered 20.50 lakh hectares, compared with 38.07 lakh hectares in the corresponding period last year. Meanwhile, coarse cereals covered 3.78 lakh hectares against 4.22 lakh hectares, while winter paddy acreage stood at 3.16 lakh hectares, down from 3.29 lakh hectares.

Source: Union Agriculture Ministry data

Deficient monsoon, low soil moisture delay planting

India received 13% less rainfall than normal during the June-September monsoon season, reducing the moisture left in agricultural fields before rabi sowing began. High daytime temperatures further discouraged planting, while below-normal reservoir and canal water availability in key wheat-growing states added to irrigation concerns.

The delay is particularly significant for wheat, which requires multiple rounds of irrigation after planting. However, the current figures reflect an early stage of the sowing season, and the final impact on production will depend on how quickly planting catches up in the coming weeks.

ALSO READ: Cabinet clears ₹2.79 lakh crore package: Rabi MSP hike, PM DHARA and Delhi traffic system

Centre asks states to accelerate sowing

Union Agriculture Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan has directed officials to accelerate rabi sowing immediately after the kharif harvest and make optimal use of the moisture remaining in fields. He has also called for greater cultivation of crops requiring less water and lower input costs, including chickpeas, mustard, lentils and millets.

The ministry said adequate stocks of urea, di-ammonium phosphate (DAP), muriate of potash (MOP), NPK fertilisers and certified seeds were available for the season. Officials have also been asked to facilitate the availability of climate-resilient and heat-tolerant seeds to help farmers cope with changing temperatures.

For the current rabi season, the government has set a foodgrain production target of 177.72 million tonnes, including 121 million tonnes of wheat, 17.20 million tonnes of pulses and 22.30 million tonnes of nutri/coarse cereals. The delayed sowing has made the pace of planting in the coming weeks an important indicator for assessing whether these targets remain achievable.