Seeds of hope: Sowing of rabi crops gathers further steam, shows data

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

Sowing of rabi crops further picked up pace during the week ended November 28, with all major crops recording higher acreages than the corresponding period of last year. 

Harsh Vardhan Bhagchandka, president of IPL Biologicals, said in 2025, rabi sowing has surged beyond 39.3 million hectares, which is a clear sign that farmers responded positively to strong monsoon residual moisture, improved seed availability and stable MSP signals. 

What stands out this season is not just the sheer scale, but the diversification beyond wheat: pulses and oilseeds have seen sharp growth, with pulses touching over eight million hectares and apeseed-mustard acreage expanding significantly. 

“Regions across the traditional wheat belt, Uttar Pradesh, Madhya Pradesh, Haryana and Rajasthan, appear to have leveraged good soil moisture and mechanised sowing to get ahead this year. The 2025 rabi season suggests a quiet but fundamental shift: farmers are not just chasing yield, they are hedging for resilience, diversification and soil health,” Bhagchandka said.