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Rabi sowing accelerates as early kharif harvest leaves soil moist and fertile
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Thursday, 13 November, 2025, 16 : 00 PM [IST]
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Our Bureau, New Delhi
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India’s winter cropping season is off to a strong start, buoyed by early harvests of the monsoon-season Kharif crops which have left soil moisture levels healthy and fields ready for sowing. According to official data, the sowing of the Rabi crops has already reached about 75.77 lakh hectares, up by some 9.89 lakh hectares compared with the same period last year.
The acceleration is being attributed to favourable weather—thanks to an above-normal monsoon that replenished major reservoirs and groundwater tables. In particular, pulses have made solid gains with area sown at 20.77 lakh hectares, up by 4.28 lakh hectares from 2024-25. Oilseeds too, especially rapeseed and mustard, have seen higher coverage, with 42.33 lakh hectares sown so far—up by 4.91 lakh hectares.
The early harvest and clearance of Kharif crops means fields are being freed up earlier and the residual soil moisture is helping farmers begin the Rabi sowing with confidence. While wheat sowing remains relatively modest at 3.34 lakh hectares so far, it remains ahead of last year’s 2.28 lakh hectares for the same time-window.
However, experts caution that while the early momentum is encouraging, the bulk of sowing remains ahead. The government’s “normal sown area” target for Rabi crops is 637.80 lakh hectares. They note that continuous weather support, timely input supplies and irrigation remain critical in converting the early start into strong output.
The uptick in planting also carries broader implications: a well-covered Rabi season can help stabilise foodgrain supplies, support rural incomes and ease pressure on food inflation in the coming months. With the early signs pointing in the right direction, policymakers and farmers alike are watching closely as sowing progresses.
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