According to the latest data released by the Union Ministry of Agriculture, the total sown area under summer (zaid) crops in the current year has increased significantly. As of May 9, 2025, the cultivated area reached 78.82 lakh hectares, up from 71.94 lakh hectares during the same period last year � an increase of nearly 7 lakh hectares or 7%. Favorable weather conditions and good water availability for irrigation encouraged farmers to actively participate in sowing, leading to an expansion in the acreage of almost all crops. States like Gujarat, Maharashtra, and Madhya Pradesh � key agricultural producers � reported sufficient water availability for irrigation, enabling smooth farming operations. The rise in sown area during the zaid season is expected to push the total production of major crops like rice and maize to record levels in the 2024 marketing season. The area under most crops is not only higher than last year but also above the normal average. Key Crop-Wise Highlights: Rice: The sown area increased to 32.02 lakh hectares, compared to 28.57 lakh hectares last year and a normal average of 30.80 lakh hectares. Pulses: Total area rose by 1.50% to 22.70 lakh hectares, which is 1.05 lakh hectares more than the normal average of 21.65 lakh hectares. Moong (Green Gram): Area increased from 18.44 to 19.45 lakh hectares. Urad (Black Gram): Saw a 0.5% increase in area. Other pulses: Area remained stable at 18,000 hectares. Coarse Cereals (Shri Anna), including Maize: Total sown area increased by 1.6%, from 12.95 lakh hectares to 14.59 lakh hectares. Maize: Area rose from 7.37 to 8.89 lakh hectares. Bajra (Pearl Millet): Increased from 4.96 to 5.05 lakh hectares (1% rise). Oilseeds: The cultivated area grew from 9.23 to 9.51 lakh hectares. Groundnut: Increased from 4.11 to 4.31 lakh hectares. Sesame: Rose from 4.73 to 4.77 lakh hectares. Sunflower: Increased from 31,000 hectares to 36,000 hectares.