Pulses, ragi expand as India’s summer crop sowing reaches 36.22 lakh hectares
Pulses and millets record growth even as total sowing falls slightly behind last year.
INDIA – India’s summer crop sowing for 2026 has reached 36.22 lakh hectares, with pulses and millets showing strong growth even as the overall area falls slightly from last year.
Data from the Ministry of Agriculture and Farmers Welfare shows that total planted area stands below last year’s 37.25 lakh hectares for the same period. Even so, farmers are putting more land under pulses and certain millets, pointing to changing priorities in the sector.
Pulses drive increase
Pulses recorded a clear rise, with total area reaching 2.25 lakh hectares, up from 1.74 lakh hectares last year. Green Gram, also known as Moong, leads this growth at 1.33 lakh hectares, while Black Gram, or Urad, covers 0.71 lakh hectares.
Officials link this increase to efforts to raise local production and improve access to nutrient-rich foods. One ministry official said, “The increase in pulses area reflects a steady shift toward crops that support both farm income and food needs.”
Ragi shows strong gains
Among coarse cereals, grouped as Shree Anna, total coverage stands at 4.14 lakh hectares. Ragi stands out with a sharp rise to 0.19 lakh hectares from 0.11 lakh hectares last year. In contrast, maize and bajra have seen a slight drop in area.
Rice still takes the largest share at 26.75 lakh hectares, though this marks a decline of about 1.22 lakh hectares compared to last year.
In oilseeds, the total area remains steady at 3.08 lakh hectares. Groundnut leads at 2.00 lakh hectares, followed by sesamum and sunflower.
Export pressure
This shift in sowing comes as India’s rice sector faces pressure in export markets. Recent tensions in the Middle East have slowed basmati shipments, a key export segment.
The Indian Rice Exporters Association estimates that about 200,000 tonnes of basmati rice remain stuck at ports, with a similar amount still in transit.
Dev Garg from the Indian Rice Exporters Federation said, “Basmati rice prices have fallen by about 6% since the conflict in the Middle East escalated, which is a crucial market for Indian exports.”
Exporters have asked agencies such as Agricultural and Processed Food Products Export Development Authority and the Directorate General of Foreign Trade for relief on port charges and insurance costs.
Even with these challenges, most farmers have already sold their harvest, which limits the direct impact on them.
With the normal summer cropping area estimated at 75.37 lakh hectares, current sowing shows a steady start and a gradual move toward crops that handle climate stress better.
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