The mustard acreage this year is higher by 3.2 per cent at 89.36 lakh hectare
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PTI
After sliding more than four per cent last year, mustard production may exceed by at least 10 per cent in 2025-26 due to increased area as well as conducive weather, so far. However, latest prediction of rain and hailstorms over north-west region in the next few days may be a concern due to possibility of crop damage.
The mustard acreage this year is higher by 3.2 per cent at 89.36 lakh hectare (lh) against 86.57 lh in 2024-25. The production was 126.67 lakh tonnes (lt) last year and the government has set a target of 139 lt during 2025-26.
Isolated hailstorm activity is likely over Jammu-Kashmir on January 26-27, and over Himachal Pradesh, Uttarakhand, west Uttar Pradesh and Rajasthan on January 27 due to a western disturbance, India Meteorological Department (IMD) said in a statement Monday.
No report of frost
“Scattered to fairly widespread light to moderate rainfall with thunderstorm, lightning and gusty winds speed reaching 40-50 kmph gusting to 60 kmph is likely over Punjab, Haryana, on January 27; thunderstorm, lightning and gusty winds speed reaching 30-40 kmph gusting to 50 kmph over west Uttar Pradesh and Rajasthan on January 27 and over east Uttar Pradesh on January 27-28,” IMD said in its forecast for the mustard-growing regions.
“The production looks good as the crop is in very good conditions in all places. There was no report of frost, which is good for the yield,” said P K Rai, former director of Bharatpur-based Indian Institute of Rapeseed-Mustard Research.
Rai, who is currently, director of National Institute of Biotic Stress Management (NIBSM), said that he plans to increase the area under mustard in Chhattisgarh to about 1 lakh hectare from current about 30,000 hectare.
Area up 3 times in UP
An analysis of mustard acreage this year shows that in traditional Rajasthan it has increased by 1 per cent to 35.35 lh, in Madhya Pradesh by 41 per cent to 11.79 lh and in Uttar Pradesh by 4 per cent to 16.99 lh. The area in Rajasthan is still below record 39.37 lh of 2022-23, but the area in Uttar Pradesh has shown an impressive gain of nearly three times from 5.93 lh in 2015-16.
Rai attributed its to major work in east Uttar Pradesh where a programme was run in association with Banaras Hindu University for expansion of area.
However, the slide in mustard acreage in the north east, Assam in particular and Jharkhand may be concern for the government when the edible oil mission is in its third season. The government has targetted to raise its area in non-conventional states where there is higher potential, particularly to target rice fallow land.
Down in N-E
Experts attribute the decline in mustard area in Jharkhand to rains in November which is the main sowing window, beyond which is planting is done the crop may be at risk of higher temperature and pest attack.
The mustard area in Jharkhand grew from 1.94 lh in 2015-16 to 4.58 lh in 2024-25. However, it has dipped to 3.52 lh this year whereas the state had set a target to cover it in 5.48 lh.
Similarly in all the north-eastern states, the area has dipped to 3.04 lh from 3.97 lh. In Assam, it has declined to 2.88 lh from 3.07 lh.
Published on January 26, 2026
