India’s kharif, rabi foodgrain output pegged 3% up at 349 million tonnes in 2025-26

NEW DELHI, 30/04/2025: A farmer using farm machinery to harvest his wheat crop at an village in Gurdaspur district of Punjab. Photo: SHIV KUMAR PUSHPAKAR / The Hindu | Photo Credit: SHIV KUMAR PUSHPAKAR

India will likely harvest a record wheat, maize (corn) and mustard crops during the current season, while sugarcane harvest has also been estimated a record during the current crop year to June. Rice production is also headed for a record high after kharif output has been projected at a new high.

The country is estimated to have produced a record high 120.21 million tonnes (mt) of wheat, 11.79 mt of gram (chana) against 11.11 mt a year ago, 1.73 mt of lentil against 1.65 mt a year ago and 13.33 mt of mustard against 12.66 mt a year ago, according to the government’s second advance estimates of crops) released on Tuesday.

Wheat production is up by 2 per cent from previous high of 117.94 mt in 2024-25, government data showed on Tuesday. A flour industry source said wheat production will easily top 121 million tonnes as everything had rolled out in favour of a good crop.

Pulses to grow 7%

Total foodgrains of both kharif and rabi seasons is estimated to rise 3 per cent to 348.65 mt in 2025-26 from 338.63 mt a year earlier, the Agriculture Ministry said in a statement. The second advance estimate includes the first estimate of Rabi crops and revised estimate of Kharif crops.

Pulses output is projected to grow 7 per cent to 16.24 mt in the rabi season of 2025-26 from 15.23 mt a year ago, potentially helping India to cut the demand-supply gap as well as imports. However, winter-grown urad output is seen lower at 508,000 tonnes from 553,000 tonnes, and green gram (moong) at 87,000 tonnes from 100,000 tonnes.

Winter-sown groundnut output is seen higher at 797,000 tonnes from 678,000 tonnes, but sunflower production is estimated lower at 104,000 tonnes from 121,000 tonnes.

Despite lower price realisation, farmers have increased output of rabi maize to 15.90 mt from 14.75 mt, while rabi rice production is estimated slightly higher at 16.72 mt against 16.12 mt. Total coarse and nutri cereals output is pegged at 21.34 mt, up from 19.86 mt a year ago.

The rabi crop production is based on the average yield and is subject to change in the successive estimates, the Agriculture Ministry said.

Published on March 10, 2026