Slack mustard coverage drags India’s rabi acreage as sowing begins

The initial crop-sowing data for the rabi season show that acreage is down 37 per cent from a year ago, mainly due to slower mustard sowing. The decline is particularly pronounced in Rajasthan, where farmers are facing challenges due to deficient rainfall.

East Rajasthan, a key mustard-growing region, has recorded a 51 per cent rainfall deficit during October 1-26. However, recent rainfall in some districts could help increase sowing of mustard and gram (chana) in Rajasthan, the leading producer of both crops.

Sources said mustard acreage in Rajasthan had not even reached 6 lakh hectares (lh) as of October 21, compared with 12 lh a year ago and 21.6 lh as of October 27, 2025. This is a crucial period for the oilseed crop, and any delay could affect timely maturity if temperatures rise around January-February due to El Nino, sources said.

According to the weekly sowing update released by the Union Agriculture Ministry on Monday, 17.78 lakh hectares (lh) had been covered as of October 23, compared with 28.16 lh a year ago. Mustard acreage stood at 13.10 lh, down 38 per cent from 21.03 lh, while pulses covered 3.27 lh, down 25 per cent from 4.39 lh a year ago.

Winter-grown paddy had been transplanted on 1.02 lh, compared with 2.13 lh a year ago. Under pulses, gram acreage stood at 2.21 lakh hectares (lh), down from 3.77 lh a year ago, while no other pulse crop, including lentil (masur), has crossed the 1 lh mark yet.

Wheat, the main rabi crop, has been sown on 11,000 hectares, compared with 27,000 hectares a year ago, the data show. The main sowing window for wheat begins in the first week of November and continues for about two months.

Officials said that inadequate soil moisture had earlier hindered sowing, while high daytime temperatures are currently unfavourable for the crop. Sowing is expected to pick up as temperatures cool, with soil moisture levels now adequate.

However, wheat acreage may decline this year due to drought in Maharashtra and Karnataka, a senior official said. Last year, wheat acreage reached a record 336 lakh hectares (lh), compared with the five-year average of 315.23 lh, helping the country harvest an all-time high of 120.66 million tonnes (mt).

The government has set a foodgrain production target of 177.72 million tonnes (mt), including 121 mt of wheat, 17.20 mt of pulses, and 22.30 mt of nutri/coarse cereals. Among other rabi crops, the targets are 12.33 mt for gram, 2.1 mt for lentil, 14.3 mt for mustard and 2.42 mt for barley.

The target for rabi-grown rice is 16.72 mt, marginally higher than the 16.69 mt set for maize, while the target for sorghum (jowar) is 3.19 mt. In Rajasthan, eastern parts received 7.2 mm of rainfall against the normal 14.5 mm during October 1-26, while western parts recorded a higher deficit of 63 per cent, with actual rainfall at 2.8 mm against the normal 7.5 mm.

However, Bharatpur and Alwar, two major mustard-producing districts, received 99 per cent and 3 per cent more than normal rainfall, respectively, during the period, following precipitation in the past few days. Among other States growing major rabi crops, rainfall was 43 per cent below normal in Uttar Pradesh, 98 per cent in Gujarat, 91 per cent in Madhya Pradesh, 55 per cent in Bihar, 96 per cent in Maharashtra and 36 per cent in Karnataka during October 1-26.

In contrast, Punjab and Haryana recorded rainfall surpluses of 239 per cent and 183 per cent, respectively, during the period, following heavy rainfall on several days this month. Although most rabi crops are not dependent on rainfall, as they are largely irrigated using groundwater, a persistent and widespread rainfall deficit could affect yields and increase farmers’ expenses.