Area Under Zaid Crops Trails Last Year's Figures by 2.3 Percent

25-Mar-2026 03:42 PM

New Delhi: Data from the Union Ministry of Agriculture reveals that the total cultivation area for summer, or 'Zaid', crops has reached only 42.68 lakh hectares this season. This figure is 1.01 lakh hectares—or 2.3 percent—lower than the 43.69 lakh hectares sown during the corresponding period last year. The normal average area for Zaid crops is estimated at 75.40 lakh hectares this season; against this benchmark, the actual sown area lags significantly behind.

According to available official statistics, compared to last year, the cultivation area for paddy during the current Zaid season declined from 28.65 lakh hectares to 27.86 lakh hectares; the sown area for coarse cereals dropped from 6.84 lakh hectares to 6.04 lakh hectares; and the area under oilseed crops slipped from 4.73 lakh hectares to 4.69 lakh hectares. Conversely, the area under pulse crops witnessed an 18 percent increase, rising from 3.47 lakh hectares to reach 4.09 lakh hectares.

During the period under review, within the pulses category, the cultivation area for Moong (green gram) rose by 17.9 percent—from 2.18 lakh hectares to 2.57 lakh hectares—while the sown area for Urad (black gram) improved by 12.3 percent, rising from 1.14 lakh hectares to 1.28 lakh hectares.

Among coarse cereals, the sown area for Bajra (pearl millet) improved from 1.35 lakh hectares to reach 1.38 lakh hectares; however, the area under Maize declined from 5 lakh hectares to 4.24 lakh hectares.

Similarly, within the oilseed category, the cultivation area for Groundnut improved from 2.87 lakh hectares to reach 2.98 lakh hectares, whereas the area under Sesame (Til) dropped from 1.42 lakh hectares to 1.35 lakh hectares. The cultivation of summer crops is still underway, though the pace has slowed down.