Acreage under summer crops has increased to 15.20 lakh hectares

17-Feb-2026 08:42 PM

New Delhi. Following the completion of sowing of Rabi crops, cultivation of summer or Zaid season crops has begun, and the area under cultivation has increased by 40,000 hectares from last year's 14.80 lakh hectares to 15.20 lakh hectares this time. Sowing of Zaid crops will continue for the next several weeks, which may further improve the acreage.

Although the area under paddy cultivation declined from 13.20 lakh hectares to 12.80 lakh hectares during the period under review, the area under pulses improved from 50,000 hectares to 58,000 hectares, and the area under oilseeds increased from 59,000 hectares to 99,000 hectares. Furthermore, the area under coarse grains also increased from 50,000 hectares to 82,000 hectares.

Among pulses crops, the area under moong remained at the previous level of 44 thousand hectares but there was a slight increase in the area under black gram. Similarly, among coarse grains, the area under maize increased from 48 thousand hectares last year to 63 thousand hectares and among oilseed crops, the area under groundnut jumped from 49 thousand hectares to 87 thousand hectares.

Thus, despite a 3 percent decline in paddy production area, a 3 percent increase was recorded in the total area under summer crops. Sowing of summer crops is still going on in many other states including Gujarat.