India’s farmers have embraced the rabi sowing season with enthusiasm, pushing the total cropped area to a staggering 652.33 lakh hectares by January 16. This represents a healthy 20.88 lakh hectare increase over the 631.45 lakh hectares seen in the same period last year, according to fresh data released by the Union Ministry of Agriculture.
The surge is a boon for the agrarian economy. Anticipated higher yields from this expanded cultivation are expected to bolster farmers’ earnings while keeping a lid on food inflation. Good residual moisture from the previous monsoon has been a game-changer, allowing sowing in areas typically hampered by dry conditions.
Wheat, the cornerstone of rabi crops, dominates with 334.17 lakh hectares sown, surpassing last year’s figure by 6.13 lakh hectares. Pulses cultivation has grown robustly to 137 lakh hectares, adding 3.82 lakh hectares to the prior season’s 133.18 lakh hectares.
Millets and coarse grains like jowar, bajra, and ragi cover 58.72 lakh hectares now, up 2.79 lakh hectares from 55.93 lakh hectares. Oilseed acreage for mustard and rai has climbed to 96.86 lakh hectares, gaining 3.53 lakh hectares over the 93.33 lakh hectares of last year.
Policy support has fueled this momentum. In a strategic move, the government announced enhanced MSPs for the 2026-27 season on October 1 last year. Early declaration of these prices empowers farmers to select crops with guaranteed profitability.
The MSP hikes are substantial: kusum sees the highest jump at Rs 600/quintal, followed by masoor at Rs 300, rapeseed-mustard at Rs 250, chana at Rs 225, barley at Rs 170, and wheat at Rs 160 per quintal. These adjustments fulfill the pledge from the 2018-19 budget to peg MSP at 1.5 times production costs.
Looking ahead, this strong sowing foundation bodes well for India’s food basket. It reflects the sector’s adaptability and the positive impact of government interventions, setting the stage for increased productivity and rural prosperity.