This year the area under mustard has increased by 3.2 percent to 89.36 lakh hectares. Photo courtesy: PTI
After a decline of more than four per cent last year, mustard production may increase by at least 10 per cent in 2025-26 due to the increased area so far as well as favorable weather. However, the latest prediction of rain and hailstorm over the north-west region over the next few days may be a cause for concern due to the possibility of crop damage.
The area under mustard this year is 89.36 lakh hectares (LH), 3.2 percent more as compared to 86.57 lakh hectares in 2024-25. Last year production was 126.67 lakh tonnes (LT) and the government has set a target of 139 LT during 2025-26.
India Meteorological Department (IMD) said in a statement on Monday that due to western disturbance, there is a possibility of hailstorm at isolated places in Jammu and Kashmir on January 26-27 and in Himachal Pradesh, Uttarakhand, West Uttar Pradesh and Rajasthan on January 27.
no frost reported
“Fairly widespread light to moderate rainfall with thunderstorm, lightning and gusty winds gusting to 40-50 kmph gusting to 60 kmph is very likely over Punjab, Haryana on January 27; gusty winds of 30-40 kmph gusting to 50 kmph very likely over West Uttar Pradesh and Rajasthan on January 27 and over East Uttar Pradesh on January 27-28,” the IMD said in its forecast for mustard-growing areas.
“Production looks good as the crop is in very good condition all over. There are no reports of frost, which is good for the yield,” said PK Rai, former director of the Bharatpur-based Indian Rapeseed-Mustard Research Institute.
Rai, who is currently the director of the National Institute of Biotic Stress Management (NIBSM), said he plans to increase the area under mustard in Chhattisgarh from the current around 30,000 hectares to around 1 lakh hectares.
Area increased 3 times in UP
Analysis of mustard area this year shows that in traditional Rajasthan it has increased by 1 percent to 35.35 lakh hectare, in Madhya Pradesh it has increased by 41 percent to 11.79 lakh hectare and in Uttar Pradesh it has increased by 4 percent to 16.99 lakh hectare. Rajasthan’s area is still below the 2022-23 record of 39.37 lakh hours, but Uttar Pradesh’s area has shown an impressive growth of almost three times from 5.93 lakh hours in 2015-16.
Rai attributed this to major work in eastern Uttar Pradesh where a program was run in collaboration with Banaras Hindu University to expand the area.
However, as the Edible Oil Mission is in its third season, the decline in mustard acreage in the North East, especially Assam and Jharkhand, may be a matter of concern for the government. The government aims to increase its area in non-traditional states where there is greater potential, especially targeting rice fallow lands.
down in the northeast
Experts attribute the decline in mustard area in Jharkhand to the rains in November, which is the prime sowing time, after which the crop may be at risk of high temperatures and pest attack.
The area under mustard in Jharkhand increased from 1.94 lakh hectares in 2015-16 to 4.58 lakh hectares in 2024-25. However, this year it has fallen to 3.52 lakh per hour whereas the state had targeted to cover it in 5.48 lakh hours.
Similarly, in all the north-eastern states the area has decreased from 3.97 lakh hours to 3.04 lakh hours. In Assam it has reduced from 3.07 lakh hours to 2.88 lakh hours.
Published on January 26, 2026
