Favorable weather conditions improve finger millet production

12-Mar-2026 08:33 PM

New Delhi. Finger millet, an important member of the coarse grain family, is primarily produced during the Kharif season. Although some production also occurs during the Rabi and Zaid seasons, it is not included in government statistics.

According to available data, the area under finger millet during the Rabi season increased by 27,000 hectares from 70,000 hectares in 2024-25 to 97,000 hectares in 2025-26. Similarly, the area under finger millet during the Zaid season also improved from 7,000 hectares to 17,000 hectares.

According to the second advance estimate of the Union Agriculture Ministry, the total domestic finger millet production is expected to increase to 20.07 lakh tonnes in the 2025-26 season, which is 30,000 tonnes more than the 2024-25 production of 19.77 lakh tonnes.

Previously, the country had produced 16.70 lakh tonnes of ragi in the 2023-24 season, 16.91 lakh tonnes in the 2022-23 season, and 17.01 lakh tonnes in the 2021-22 season. The central government is now encouraging the promotion of ragi production.

Karnataka is considered the largest producer of ragi in the country. It is also produced in some other states, including Andhra Pradesh, Telangana, Maharashtra, and Odisha. The harvesting of the Kharif ragi crop has already ended, and now the arrival of the Rabi crop is about to begin.