Higher support prices, strong edible oil demand to drive mustard area expansion

New Delhi: Farmers are likely to plant more mustard this winter, helped by a higher government support price and a need to buy less cooking oil from abroad.

The mustard area under cultivation in the ongoing 2026-27 rabi season is projected to touch 9.50 million hectares, against 9.42 million a year before, said Vijay Veer Singh, director at the ICAR-Indian Institute of Rapeseed-Mustard Research in Bharatpur, Rajasthan, the country’s biggest mustard-producing state. Better seeds and hybrid varieties should help farmers grow more on each hectare.

The timing is important as India buys about 60% of its edible oil from other countries, and the war in West Asia has made those imports costlier and harder to ship.

Even if yields stay where they were, the extra area could take mustard output to 13.9 million tonnes this season, up from 13.77 million last year, assuming productivity remains at 1,460 kg per hectare.

Key Takeaways

• Higher support prices continue attracting farmers towards mustard cultivation nationwide.
• Growth in edible oil demand is supporting the expansion of mustard acreage.
• Improved seed varieties could help raise output and farm incomes.
• Rice-fallow land offers significant untapped potential for mustard expansion.
• Moisture shortages remain the biggest risk to acreage growth.

Meanwhile, edible oil demand is projected to rise to 26.5 million tonnes in FY27 from 25.7 million tonnes a year before, Mint reported on 22 October.

However, experts advise constant monitoring of the crop situation. According to Singh, moisture availability is likely to be a major constraint on mustard acreage in 2026–27, while favourable prices and the crop's relatively lower irrigation requirement compared with wheat could support planting where conditions permit.

Rajasthan, Uttar Pradesh, Madhya Pradesh, West Bengal and Haryana are the top five major mustard-growing areas in the country. Other states include Jharkhand, Assam, Gujarat, Bihar, Punjab, Chhattisgarh, Maharashtra, Uttarakhand, Himachal Pradesh, and Andhra Pradesh.

Higher support prices

The Minimum Support Price (MSP) for rapeseed and mustard is ₹6,613 per quintal for the current rabi marketing season, approved by the Cabinet on 30 September 2026, reflecting an increase of ₹413 per quintal over the previous year, which experts feel will drive area under cultivation.

According to data from CCS Haryana Agricultural University, Hisar, the highest area of 9.42 million hectares was achieved in 2025-26, and the highest productivity of 1,524 kg per hectare was achieved in the year 2020-21. Area under mustard has increased from 6.70 million hectares in 2020-21 to 9.42 million hectares in 2025-26. This represents an increase of 40.6% over five years. The crop is at a saturation stage in some states, while in some states it is increasing.

“We are expecting mustard acreage to remain healthy this rabi season, supported by favourable prices and steady demand. If weather conditions remain favourable, acreage could see a further increase over last year,” said Namit Singla, a trader in Delhi.

"The mustard crop has become an attractive crop because of reasonably good yield, consistent increase in MSP and market price over and above MSP. Area has shifted to mustard from wheat and other location-specific rabi crops," said Baldev Raj Kamboj, vice chancellor, CCS Haryana Agricultural University, Hisar (Haryana).

The mustard crop has emerged as a good alternative to wheat in the core area of the rice-wheat cropping system because of at-par or higher returns.

As far as Haryana is concerned, according to Kamboj, the mustard crop was cultivated on an area of 649,000 hectares, with production and productivity of 1.46 million tonnes and 2,255 kg per hectare, respectively (2025-26). "Mustard acreage in Haryana is likely to increase by 6-10% in the upcoming rabi season, supported by the availability of high-yielding seed varieties and a favourable minimum support price," added Kamboj. “Farmers are expected to expand sowing as improved seeds promise better productivity, while remunerative support prices strengthen the crop’s economic appeal.”

Suitable short-duration mustard varieties can help bring additional rice-fallow land under oilseed cultivation, particularly in eastern India. Rice fallow land is cropland where a kharif season rice crop is harvested, and the land is left uncultivated or ‘fallow’ during the following rabi season).

According to Singh, efforts to expand mustard cultivation in rice-fallow areas are gaining attention across several states, with region-specific strategies being considered to boost oilseed production. ICAR's Vision 2050 for the Directorate of Rapeseed–Mustard Research estimated that there were approximately 11.65 million hectares of rice-fallow land in the eastern and northeastern states. It suggested that bringing even 10% of this area under rapeseed–mustard could increase oilseed production by at least 1 million tonnes.

About the Author

Vijay C. Roy is a journalist with over 21 years of experience covering various news beats across different organisations such as Business Standard and The Tribune. In the past, he has covered beats such as finance, auto, MSME, commodities, FMCG, pharmaceutical, agriculture, IT/ITES, infrastructure and start-ups. He joined Mint in February 2025, and covers agriculture, food processing, fertilizers, environment and climate change, bringing over two decades of experience reporting on farm policy, food inflation, crop trade, and rural livelihoods.<br><br>Vijay’s areas of reporting include food security and climate change policies, focusing on their impact on different stakeholders and their implications. His expertise lies in simplifying complex agri-economic issues such as edible oil import dependence, cotton and wheat trends, fertiliser subsidies, and climate-related risks. He has covered key developments including global supply disruptions and evolving trade policies, offering both macroeconomic perspective and field-level context. Known for his credible and balanced reporting, he follows a rigorous, fact-based approach that prioritises accuracy and context. He is driven by a commitment to public interest, aiming to make critical agricultural and economic issues accessible while contributing to informed policy and industry discussions.