Decline in Sowing of Pulse and Oilseed Crops in Rajasthan

26-Aug-2026 01:16 PM

Jaipur. Rajasthan is the leading producer of moong (green gram), the second-largest producer of groundnut, and the third-largest producer of soybean. While a mixed trend has been observed in the sowing areas of various pulses and oilseeds in the state, the overall cultivation area lags behind last year's figures. The sowing process has now reached its final stage.

According to official data, the cultivation area for Kharif pulse crops in Rajasthan has decreased from 39.63 lakh hectares last year to 36.88 lakh hectares this year, while the sowing area for oilseed crops has fallen from 26.85 lakh hectares to 24.61 lakh hectares.

Among pulse crops, the cultivation area for moong dropped from 26.57 lakh hectares last year to 23.17 lakh hectares this year. Farmers' interest in cultivating this crop waned because market prices were not particularly attractive, and the Minimum Support Price (MSP) saw only a marginal increase. The acreage for *chola* (cowpea) in Rajasthan also slipped from 66,000 hectares to 56,000 hectares. On the other hand, the area under *moth* (moth bean) improved from 8.59 lakh hectares to 9.12 lakh hectares, and the cultivation area for *urad* (black gram) rose from 3.79 lakh hectares to 3.99 lakh hectares.

As for oilseed crops, the cultivation area for groundnut declined from 12.86 lakh hectares to 11.24 lakh hectares, despite initially trending ahead of last year's figures. The sowing area for soybean fell from 9.89 lakh hectares to 9.32 lakh hectares; a downward trend in its sowing had been evident from the very beginning.

Rajasthan is the second-largest producer of castor, yet the area under its cultivation dropped from 2.66 lakh hectares last year to 2.14 lakh hectares this year. On the other hand, the area under sesame cultivation in the state has increased from 1.44 lakh hectares to 1.90 lakh hectares. The condition of the crops is reported to be satisfactory.