Sowing Area for Summer Crops Crosses 8.3 Million Hectares
12-May-2026 04:50 PM
New Delhi. The latest data from the Union Ministry of Agriculture reveals that the total area under cultivation for summer, or *Zaid*, season crops has expanded this year, reaching 8.308 million hectares. This figure represents an increase of 307,000 hectares compared to the sowing area of 8.001 million hectares recorded during the corresponding period last year. This acreage is also significantly higher than the five-year average area of 7.537 million hectares. Last year, the total cultivation area for *Zaid* crops had reached 8.392 million hectares.
According to official statistics, compared to the previous year, the national-level cultivation area for paddy (rice) during the current *Zaid* season declined from 3.242 million hectares to 3.105 million hectares. However, the sowing area for pulses improved from 2.376 million hectares to 2.497 million hectares; the area for oilseeds increased from 958,000 hectares to 1.104 million hectares; and the acreage for coarse cereals jumped from 1.425 million hectares to 1.601 million hectares.
Within the pulses category, the sowing area for *Moong* (Green Gram) improved from 2 million hectares to 2.007 million hectares, while the area for *Urad* (Black Gram) increased from 358,000 hectares to 460,000 hectares. The acreage for other pulses also saw an improvement, rising from 19,000 hectares to 30,000 hectares.
Similarly, within the oilseeds category, the cultivation area for groundnut jumped from 420,000 hectares to 551,000 hectares; the sowing area for sesame increased from 496,000 hectares to 507,000 hectares; and the area for sunflower improved from 35,000 hectares to 39,000 hectares. As far as coarse cereals are concerned, the area under Jowar in this category remained stable at 36,000 hectares; however, the sowing area for Bajra increased from 5.20 lakh hectares to 5.40 lakh hectares, the cultivation area for Maize surged from 8.50 lakh hectares to 10 lakh hectares, and the area under Ragi improved from 16,000 hectares to reach 22,000 hectares. The sowing of Zaid crops has reached its final stage.