Rabi Crops

Chouhan says five states impacted due to drought conditions in 2026 kharif season

Minister Chouhan says teams to visit Maharashtra & Karnataka soon to assess the drought impact

Union Agriculture Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan on Monday asked state governments to approach the upcoming rabi season with scientific planning, keeping in mind the drought and water scarcity that some regions faced during the just-concluded kharif season due to climate change. Addressing a two-day national conference on preparedness for the rabi (winter) season, Chouhan said, "When we speak of the Rabi season, we must also consider the Kharif season, which caused great concern because of climate change. Weather patterns have shifted." He said kharif crops had been affected in places, though they had not failed everywhere. "In many places the crop is very good, but there is a threat of drought and water scarcity in some regions," he said, adding that rainfall had been excellent in some areas and below average in others. "I urge state officials to approach Rabi planning scientifically by assessing water availability and soil moisture in specific regions and making advance arrangemen

The upcoming rabi (winter) season is likely to be challenging for rainfed areas due to the El Nino weather pattern, and foodgrain production could be affected, Agriculture Secretary Atish Chandra said on Monday. Addressing a two-day national conference on preparedness for the rabi season, Chandra said the kharif season was also very challenging, particularly in rainfed areas. Several States struggled first to achieve crop coverage and later to ensure that the crops survived. Sowing of rabi crops such as wheat and mustard begins in October. "We are seeing that in the coming season, production is likely to be affected to a large extent. And the rabi season will also be challenging for the rainfed areas," he said. Chandra said some states could face the problem of excess soil moisture, while areas with deficient rainfall may see prolonged periods of stress. Strategies need to be calibrated accordingly for the rabi season, he added. Calling climate change a reality, he said even irri

Q4 growth recovers in FY26 due to good rabi harvest, say experts

Agriculture Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan on Friday said unseasonal rainfall and hailstorms have damaged standing rabi crops, particularly wheat, across approximately 2.49 lakh hectares so far across several states, with the full extent of losses still being assessed by multiple agencies. "The assessment of the crop damage is still underway. The assessment is being done by three different departments," Chouhan told reporters ahead of the launch of "Unnat Krishi Mela" in Raisen district of Madhya Pradesh. He noted that the wheat crop has suffered the maximum damage, followed by horticulture crops. The figure of 2.49 lakh hectares pertains to damage reported till April 8. Chouhan assured farmers that the Narendra Modi government stands with them in this hour of crisis. On April 5, Chouhan had directed ministry officials to conduct a comprehensive review of crop losses in the affected states and coordinate with state governments to gather ground-level information. The Minister also

Unseasonal rains and hailstorms across Rajasthan have severely damaged Rabi crops, leaving farmers anxious as losses mount and compensation processes begin

An official statement today announced that the increased rates will apply starting with the forthcoming Rabi marketing season of 2026-27

Government plans to procure 30.3 million tonnes of wheat for the Central Pool in the 2026-27 rabi marketing season beginning April 1

Wheat sowing remained flat at 32.26 million hectares in the ongoing 2024-25 rabi season, while area under pulses and oilseeds rose marginally from a year earlier, agriculture ministry data showed. Wheat, the main rabi or winter crop, was sown in 32.24 million hectares a year ago. The total wheat area stood at 32.8 million hectares in the 2023-24 rabi season. Sowing of wheat and other rabi crops begins in October, with harvesting starting in March. Planting of wheat and other major rabi crops is nearly complete. Rice sowing rose marginally to 1.49 million hectares as of December 26 in the 2025-26 rabi season from 1.30 million hectares in the year-ago period, the data showed. Rice covered 4.47 million hectares in the previous rabi season. Area under pulses reached 13.34 million hectares so far this rabi season, nearing the total area of 13.40 million hectares achieved in the entire rabi season last year. While area sown to chickpea, lentil and green gram surpassed last year's total

As Rabi sowing nears completion in Rajasthan, farmers queue up for urea, triggering a political row between the state government and the Congress over fertiliser availability

Amid record imports, fertiliser cargo on rail grows 12%

Rabi sowing has crossed 39.3 million hectares, with strong gains in pulses and oilseeds as farmers leverage good soil moisture, better seeds and stable MSP cues to diversify beyond wheat

Data showed that during the week ending November 21, rabi crops were sown in around 30.63 million hectares of land which is 12.32 per cent more than the area covered during the same period last year

Things are in place for a good rabi harvest. But farmers must contend with poor prices for their kharif harvest. And that may have a knock-on effect on rabi prices in a vicious cycle

Soil moisture substantially improved owing to vigorous post-monsoon showers across many parts of India, which swayed farmers to plant more area under rabi crops to get the best yields

While key inputs such as water, seeds and fertilisers are adequate, the poor price performance of the kharif harvest might dampen farmers earning

Mustard has dominated the rabi sowing this year. So far, around 79 per cent of mustard sowing has been completed

Good rainfall and soil moisture drive farmers in Rajasthan to shift from wheat to mustard and gram this Rabi season, with acreage for both crops set to rise.

The government on Wednesday announced a 6.59 per cent increase in the minimum support price (MSP) for wheat to Rs 2,585 per quintal for the 2026-27 marketing year, up from Rs 2,425 per quintal last year. The decision was taken at a Cabinet meeting chaired by Prime Minister Narendra Modi. Briefing the media, Information and Broadcasting Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw said the Cabinet had approved the MSP for six rabi crops for 2026-27 based on recommendations of the Commission for Agricultural Costs and Prices (CACP). In absolute terms, the highest increase has been announced for safflower at Rs 600 per quintal, followed by lentil (masur) at Rs 300 per quintal. For rapeseed and mustard, the increase is Rs 250 per quintal; gram Rs 225 per quintal; barley Rs 170 per quintal; and wheat Rs 160 per quintal. The MSP for barley has been increased to Rs 2,150 per quintal from Rs 1,980 per quintal. Among key rabi pulses, the support price for gram has been fixed at Rs 5,875 per quintal, up from