Rabi Season 2024-25: Wheat Leads, Oilseeds See a Decline-Full Report Inside

01 January 2025, New Delhi: The Department of Agriculture & Farmers’ Welfare has released the latest data on Rabi crop coverage as of December 30, 2024, showcasing a comprehensive view of the country’s agricultural landscape during this critical season. With a total sown area of 614.94 lakh hectares compared to 611.80 lakh hectares in the previous year, the season reflects both growth and challenges across various crops. Here’s a detailed analysis of the crop-wise progress.

Wheat: A Promising Lead

Wheat, the staple Rabi crop and a significant contributor to food security, continues to maintain its position as the dominant crop. The area sown under wheat this year has reached 319.74 lakh hectares, surpassing the normal Rabi area of 312.35 lakh hectares and showing a noticeable increase from 313 lakh hectares in 2023-24. The increase is attributed to favorable weather conditions and steady demand for wheat in both domestic and export markets. Regions with high wheat production have reported timely sowing, benefiting from adequate moisture levels and government support for inputs like seeds and fertilizers.

Rice: A Gradual Uptick

While not traditionally a Rabi crop in most regions, rice cultivation during the season has gained traction, especially in southern and eastern states where climatic conditions permit double cropping. This year, the area sown under Rabi rice stands at 14.37 lakh hectares, slightly higher than the 13.61 lakh hectares recorded last year. Farmers are leveraging better irrigation facilities and high-yielding Rabi rice varieties, ensuring steady growth in this segment.

Pulses: Stability Amid Challenges

Pulses, a critical source of protein in Indian diets, have seen stable coverage, with a total sown area of 136.13 lakh hectares compared to 136.05 lakh hectares in the previous year.

• Gram (Chickpea): As the leading pulse crop, gram accounts for the majority of the area sown, with 93.98 lakh hectares, marginally higher than the previous year.
• Lentils: Lentil cultivation stands at 17.43 lakh hectares, slightly below last year’s 17.76 lakh hectares.
• Fieldpea, Kulthi, and Others: Minor pulses like fieldpea (8.94 lakh hectares) and kulthi (3.13 lakh hectares) have seen consistent coverage. However, urdbean, moongbean, and lathyrus have recorded slight variations due to regional weather patterns and market dynamics.

The government’s focus on promoting pulses through price support schemes and quality seed distribution continues to stabilize this category.

Shri Anna & Coarse Cereals: Mixed Trends

Coarse cereals, grouped under the Shri Anna initiative, have an area coverage of 48.55 lakh hectares, marginally higher than last year’s 47.77 lakh hectares.

• Jowar: This crop remains the backbone of Rabi coarse cereals, with 22.24 lakh hectares sown this year.
• Maize: Maize area has increased to 18.93 lakh hectares, reflecting growing demand for its use in animal feed and industrial applications.
• Barley: Notably, barley has shown robust growth, reaching 6.62 lakh hectares compared to 7.01 lakh hectares last year, highlighting its importance as a winter cereal.

Efforts to boost millet production as part of the International Year of Millets have enhanced awareness and support for these climate-resilient crops.

Oilseeds: A Decline in Total Coverage

Oilseed cultivation has seen a slight decrease, with 96.15 lakh hectares sown compared to 101.37 lakh hectares last year.

• Rapeseed & Mustard: This crop continues to dominate the oilseed segment with 88.50 lakh hectares sown, although it reflects a reduction from the previous year.
• Linseed: Linseed cultivation has increased to 2.68 lakh hectares, emphasizing its niche but valuable role in the agricultural economy.
• Other Oilseeds: Groundnut, safflower, sunflower, and sesamum have seen slight declines, influenced by market fluctuations and competition from other crops.

Government interventions such as minimum support prices (MSP) and subsidies for oilseed farmers aim to encourage sustained production in this critical segment.

Area coverage under Rabi crops as on 30^th December 2024 (in lakh hectares)

S.No.	Crops	Normal Rabi Area (DES)	Area Sown 2024-25	Area Sown 2023-24
1	Wheat	312.35	319.74	313.00
2	Rice	42.02	14.37	13.61
3	Pulses	140.44	136.13	136.05
a	Gram	100.99	93.98	93.17
b	Lentil	15.13	17.43	17.76
c	Fieldpea	6.50	8.94	8.98
d	Kulthi	1.98	3.13	3.42
e	Urdbean	6.15	4.22	4.79
f	Moongbean	1.44	0.86	0.87
g	Lathyrus	2.79	3.12	3.32
h	Other Pulses	5.46	4.45	3.74
4	Shri Anna & Coarse cereals	53.46	48.55	47.77
a	Jowar	24.37	22.24	22.52
b	Bajra	0.37	0.12	0.14
c	Ragi	0.74	0.49	0.58
d	Small Millets	0.15	0.15	0.00
e	Maize	22.11	18.93	17.53
f	Barley	5.72	6.62	7.01
5	Oilseeds	87.02	96.15	101.37
a	Rapeseed & Mustard	79.16	88.50	93.73
b	Groundnut	3.82	3.32	3.31
c	Safflower	0.72	0.64	0.66
d	Sunflower	0.81	0.59	0.33
e	Sesamum	0.58	0.13	0.25
f	Linseed	1.93	2.68	2.84
g	Other Oilseeds	0.00	0.30	0.26
	Total Crops	635.30	614.94	611.80

Overall Outlook and Challenges

With a total area of 614.94 lakh hectares sown under Rabi crops this year, challenges such as fluctuating market prices, regional climatic variations, and input costs remain areas of concern. 

As the Rabi season progresses, close monitoring of crop performance, weather patterns, and market dynamics will be essential to achieving the ambitious targets set for the agricultural sector this year.

Future of Maize Farming in India

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