India wheat sowing reached 11,000 hectares as of October 23, 2026, compared with 27,000 hectares at the same point a year earlier, Agriculture Ministry data showed. Planting had just begun in a few states after a deficient southwest monsoon.

India wheat sowing begins after weak rains

Wheat is generally sown in October and November and harvested in March and April. The early figures do not establish the final area that will be planted.

India’s southwest monsoon rainfall from June through September was 13% below normal, according to the Meteorological Department. Weak rainfall can leave less soil moisture and water in reservoirs and canals, potentially delaying planting and affecting yields for a crop that needs several rounds of irrigation.

Punjab and Rajasthan, which together account for about 31% of India’s wheat area, had rainfall deficits of 38% and 22%, respectively, and below-normal reservoir storage at the end of September.

Other winter crop acreage also trails

Total rabi, or winter-season, crop sowing stood at 18.02 lakh hectares, equivalent to 1.802 million hectares, compared with 28.26 lakh hectares a year earlier. Rice, pulses and oilseed acreage were also lower, while coarse cereal sowing rose to 23,000 hectares from 13,000 hectares.

The ministry has set a wheat production target of 121 million tonnes for the 2026–27 crop year, which runs from July to June. That follows record output of 120.7 million tonnes in the previous crop year; the new target is not a production result.

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