Indian Farmers Are Massively Shifting to Wheat Cultivation Instead of Rapeseed

In India, there is an active transition of farmers from rapeseed cultivation to wheat, driven by the higher yield and profitability of the cereal crop. Updated forecasts from FAS USDA for the 2025/26 season indicate a reduction in the area planted with rapeseed in the country.

This is reported by AgroReview

Change in Crop Structure After the Monsoons

It is estimated that the area sown with rapeseed has decreased by approximately 1.6%, reaching 9.1 million hectares. The main reason for this is a shift in agricultural strategy following the strong monsoon period of 2025, which provided the soils and reservoirs with the necessary moisture. This created optimal conditions for wheat cultivation, prompting farmers to widely change their crop.

This trend is particularly noticeable in the state of Rajasthan — the main region for rapeseed production — as well as in neighboring states Uttar Pradesh and Haryana. Here, farmers are increasingly choosing wheat, as its average yield is about 3.5 tons per hectare. In comparison, rapeseed yields only 1.2–1.4 tons per hectare, making wheat significantly more profitable for producers.

“At the same time, FAS USDA forecasts record figures for wheat in the 2025/26 marketing year — the area planted could reach 32.8 million hectares, and production could be 117.9 million tons. This underscores the trend towards strengthening the role of wheat in the country’s agricultural sector.”

Areas Planted with Rapeseed and the Impact of Pricing Policy

Despite the reduced forecasts, rapeseed plantings in the 2025/26 marketing year are still approximately 2% larger than in the previous season, attributed to attractive prices for the oilseed crop in the 2024/25 marketing year. However, due to the anticipated decrease in production, the forecasted processing volume of rapeseed has been adjusted from 10.9 million tons to 10.7 million tons.