Rice acreage dips slightly, while coarse cereals and oilseeds register strong gains during ongoing summer sowing season

India’s summer crop sowing has witnessed a positive trend this year, with the total cultivated area reaching 81.60 lakh hectares as of May 1, 2026, compared to 79 lakh hectares during the same period last year, according to the latest data released by the Ministry of Agriculture & Farmers Welfare.

The overall increase of 2.60 lakh hectares has been driven largely by higher acreage under pulses, oilseeds and Shree Anna (millets) along with coarse cereals, reflecting continued diversification in India’s agricultural landscape and stronger focus on climate-resilient crops.

While rice sowing saw a marginal decline, crops such as maize, groundnut and bajra posted healthy gains, indicating rising demand across food processing, animal feed and hospitality-linked consumption sectors.

Key Highlights

• Total summer crop area increased to 81.60 lakh hectares, up from 79 lakh hectares last year
• Oilseeds recorded one of the highest gains with an additional 1.47 lakh hectares
• Maize sowing rose sharply by 1.50 lakh hectares
• Groundnut acreage increased by 1.31 lakh hectares
• Pulses cultivation expanded by 0.73 lakh hectares
• Rice acreage declined marginally by 1.36 lakh hectares

Pulses Continue Upward Momentum

Summer pulses coverage reached 23.49 lakh hectares, higher than 22.76 lakh hectares recorded during the corresponding period last year.

Among pulses, blackgram emerged as the strongest performer with sowing increasing to 4.20 lakh hectares compared to 3.58 lakh hectares last year. Greengram acreage remained largely stable.

The rise in pulse cultivation is expected to support domestic supply chains for packaged foods, institutional catering and protein-based product segments that are increasingly important for India’s hospitality and foodservice industry.

Maize, Bajra and Millets Gain Traction

Shree Anna and coarse cereals together touched 16.01 lakh hectares, registering an increase of 1.77 lakh hectares over last year.

Maize remained the biggest contributor, with acreage rising to 10 lakh hectares from 8.50 lakh hectares a year ago. Bajra sowing also improved to 5.40 lakh hectares.

The continued growth of millets and coarse cereals aligns with rising demand from health-focused consumers, quick-service restaurants and hotel menus that are increasingly incorporating millet-based offerings.

Oilseeds Show Strong Expansion

Oilseeds recorded a significant rise, reaching 11.04 lakh hectares against 9.58 lakh hectares last year.

Groundnut led the category with acreage increasing to 5.51 lakh hectares, followed by moderate gains in sunflower and sesamum cultivation.

The higher oilseed acreage could positively impact edible oil availability and support India’s food manufacturing and snack processing sectors in the coming months.

Rice Area Sees Minor Decline

Rice sowing stood at 31.05 lakh hectares compared to 32.42 lakh hectares during the same period last year, showing a slight decline of 1.36 lakh hectares.

Despite the dip, rice continues to account for the largest share of summer crop cultivation in the country.

The Agriculture Ministry stated that the figures are based on progressive sowing reports received from states and union territories.