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Zaid Cropping: A Seasonal Underdog

Updated: Apr 28

Ankur Raj

Head of Data Products



India’s agricultural economy, often spotlighted for its dependence on monsoonal cycles, has long been defined by its two dominant harvest periods: Kharif (summer crops dependent on rainfall) and Rabi (winter crops requiring irrigation). But book ended between them is a third, often-overlooked season—Zaid, spanning March to June. This short yet significant window holds the potential to optimize land use, sustain farm incomes, and diversify India’s agricultural output.


Despite limited recognition in policy debates, Zaid crops—ranging from watermelon, muskmelon, cucumber, maize, and pulses—are steadily gaining prominence as farmers seek alternative revenue sources and climate-resilient strategies.


The Zaid Advantage


Whilst conventional wisdom dictates that India’s farmland lies fallow between its major harvests, the Zaid season subverts this expectation. Farmers leverage residual moisture and irrigation to cultivate high-demand crops such as watermelon, muskmelon, cucumber, maize, and pulses—often fetching premium market prices.


Table 1: Why Zaid Crop Matter

Aspect

Implication

Land Utilization

Zaid crops make use of land that would otherwise remain fallow after the Rabi harvest. This helps to increase the cropping intensity of farmland.

Income Diversification

Typical Zaid crops are fast growing (60-90 days) and offer farmers a financial buffer before monsoon planting.

Water Management

Unlike Kharif crops, which depend on monsoons, Zaid crops rely on irrigation, making them a viable option for areas with appreciable water availability. This makes the locations with big rivers and high-water reservoirs eg. the Gangetic plains are a potential for Zaid cropping.

Market Linked

Savvy farmers use this period to cultivate cash crops like watermelon, cucumber, muskmelon, bitter gourd, summer maize, and pulses, catering to high market demand.

Soil Health

By growing Zaid crops, farmers can improve soil fertility and break pest and disease cycles before the Kharif season.

Support Healthy India

Many Zaid crops, particularly fruits and vegetables, play a significant role in supplementing nutritional needs and promoting a balanced diet.

Recent projections suggest that urban markets and export-led agricultural strategies could expand Zaid crop profitability, offering farmers an incentive to capitalize on this period.



Zaid Cropping Whereabouts: Regional Hotspots for Seasonal Agriculture


While the Zaid season is often overlooked, its cultivation patterns are deeply embedded in India's regional agricultural landscape. Certain states have emerged as major hubs for Zaid farming, leveraging their water resources, soil suitability, and market demand to ensure productive harvests. Understanding where these crops thrive can help policymakers and farmers optimize strategies for expansion.



Table 2: Zaid Cropping Locations & Key Crops

STATE

DISTRICTS

CROPS

Uttar Pradesh

Meerut, Aligarh, Agra, Bareilly, Varanasi, Gorakhpur

Watermelon, Muskmelon, Cucumber, Maize, Pulses

Bihar

Patna, Bhagalpur, Muzaffarpur, Gaya, Samastipur

Maize, Watermelon, Cucumber, Muskmelon, Bitter Gourd

Madhya Pradesh

Indore, Jabalpur, Bhopal, Gwalior, Sagar

Moong, Blackgram (Urad), Maize, Vegetables

West Bengal

Murshidabad, Nadia, Malda, Bardhaman

Summer Paddy, Greengram (Moong), Cucurbits

Punjab

Ludhiana, Amritsar, Patiala, Jalandhar

Watermelon, Muskmelon, Maize, Pulses

Haryana

Karnal, Hisar, Rohtak, Sirsa

Sunflower, Maize, Watermelon, Cucumbers

Rajasthan

Jaipur, Jodhpur, Kota, Ajmer

Moong, Watermelon, Muskmelon, Fodder Crops

Gujarat

Ahmedabad, Surat, Rajkot, Vadodara

Groundnut, Watermelon, Muskmelon, Vegetables

Maharashtra

Pune, Nashik, Solapur, Ahmednagar

Sunflower, Vegetables, Pulses, Watermelon

Tamil Nadu

Coimbatore, Salem, Thanjavur, Madurai

Groundnut, Maize, Greengram (Moong), Cucumbers


The geographic spread of Zaid farming underscores its versatility, spanning regions with high irrigation potential, strong market demand, and varying climatic conditions. As new cultivation techniques emerge, expanding Zaid farming beyond traditional zones could help boost agricultural resilience and farmer incomes—turning this seasonal niche into a strategic asset for India’s agricultural future.



Current Prospects of Zaid Crops in India (2025)


  1. Impact of Current Weather Conditions: India recorded one of its warmest February and March months in 2025, with both daytime and nighttime temperatures remaining above normal. In some regions, temperatures were recorded 3 to 5 degrees Celsius higher than usual, and this heatwave is expected to persist. Despite concerns that higher temperatures might reduce wheat yields for the Rabi crop, the Indian government has reported a record wheat production of 115.43 million tonnes (MT), up from 113.39 MT in 2023-24. This improved output, despite unfavourable weather conditions, is likely to increase farmer confidence in Zaid cropping, particularly where water availability is sufficient.


  2. Climate Resilience and Technological Advancements: The development of drought-resistant and high-yielding Zaid crop varieties has increased their viability even in semi-arid regions, helping mitigate the impact of climate change.


  3. Government Support and Policies: Several initiatives, such as PM-KISAN, irrigation schemes (PMKSY), and subsidies on seeds and fertilizers, encourage farmers to adopt Zaid cropping practices, ensuring financial viability.


  4. Market Demand and Export Potential: The rising demand for fruits and vegetables, both domestically and internationally, enhances the profitability of Zaid crops. Increased consumer preference for fresh produce further boosts market potential.


  5. Adoption of Sustainable Practices: Organic farming and precision agriculture are making Zaid farming more sustainable, reducing input costs while ensuring higher productivity. Water-efficient irrigation methods, such as drip and sprinkler irrigation, are being increasingly adopted.


  6. Rising Awareness and Farmer Training: With increased awareness programs and digital platforms, farmers are becoming more informed about the benefits of Zaid farming, leading to its expansion in non-traditional areas.


  7. Economic Sentiments and Agricultural Trends: Given the inflationary trends in input costs and rising food prices, Zaid crops can provide farmers with a buffer against economic instability by offering a quicker turnaround and marketable produce.



Ripe For Targeted Policy Interventions 


Agricultural economists argue that the relative obscurity of Zaid farming presents an untapped opportunity. Despite the record-breaking 115.43 million-tonne wheat harvest in early 2025—underscoring resilience in the face of rising temperatures—heat stress and inflationary pressure on agricultural inputs remain formidable hurdles.

Government initiatives such as PM-KISAN and PMKSY irrigation schemes provide incentives for farmers to expand their Zaid footprint. Meanwhile, precision agriculture and drought-resistant varieties, championed by ICAR and IARI, are transforming once-marginal lands into viable cropping zones.



Table 3: Policy Support

Policy Initiative

Policy Response

Irrigation Expansion - Pradhan Mantri Krishi Sinchayee Yojana (PMKSY)

Enables water-efficient cultivation across semi-arid regions.

Subsidies on Inputs

Lowers cost barriers for small-scale farmers.

Research into Heat-Resistant Crops

Reduces climate vulnerability for high-yield varieties.


NITI Aayog, India’s premier policy think tank, has recently underscored the strategic importance of Zaid agriculture in enhancing India’s year-round food security. Experts at NABARD, the rural development bank, advocate for better supply-chain integration to ensure that market fluctuations do not erode farmers’ profitability. Recent research (Economic Study on Zaid Pulse Crops Grown in Auraiya District of Uttar Pradesh, n.d.)  has suggested that policymakers encourage Zaid pulse crops Black gram and Green gram, as a focus area of diversification of agriculture.



Challenges and the Way Forward


The obstacles to mainstreaming Zaid farming are predictable yet solvable—limited irrigation coverage, knowledge gaps among farmers, and logistical inefficiencies. Solutions lie in expanding micro-irrigation infrastructure, launching targeted farmer education programs, and integrating AI-driven market forecasts to ensure price stability.


Despite its benefits, Zaid farming faces challenges such as limited water availability, erratic weather patterns, and a lack of awareness among farmers in certain regions. Addressing these issues through better irrigation facilities, climate-adaptive techniques, and government interventions will be key to enhancing Zaid crop cultivation in India. Strengthening supply chains and improving storage infrastructure will further help farmers get better prices for their produce.


The Zaid cropping season, though often overlooked, holds immense potential for Indian agriculture. It ensures optimal land use, enhances farmers' income, and contributes to food security. With the right strategies, investments, and policy support, Zaid crops can significantly strengthen India's agricultural framework, making farming more profitable and sustainable in the long run. The year 2025 presents new opportunities for Zaid farming, provided that adaptive measures are taken to counter climate and economic challenges. A data-driven approach to farmer sentiments could further align resource allocation and support wider adoption of Zaid cropping, ensuring optimal agricultural output.



Table 4: Way Forward: Zaid Support Policy

Challenge

Proposed Policy Support

Water Scarcity

Scale up drip and sprinkler irrigation adoption.

Low Farmer Awareness

Invest in digital extension programs for knowledge dissemination

Supply Chain Weaknesses

Strengthen cold storage and logistics for perishable Zaid crops


A focused approach by government agencies, farm input companies, and other stakeholders can significantly support farmers interested in summer-season cultivation. Early assessment of farmer sentiments can enable these agencies to efficiently allocate resources, ensuring timely assistance for Zaid cropping. With improved support, a larger cropping area and higher yields can be expected, bringing the Zaid season into the mainstream agricultural framework. Establishing an information system to capture farmer sentiments early on could be a key strategy for mobilizing resources and encouraging wider adoption of Zaid farming.



A Future Worth Investing In


The Zaid season, historically treated as an agriculture afterthought, an interlude between the more prominent Kharif and Rabi cycles, is ripe to emerge as a driving force in agricultural modernization. If policymakers and agribusinesses reframe Zaid as a strategic asset rather than an afterthought, India’s farm economy could benefit from higher efficiency, greater resilience, and expanded commercial prospects.



Advantage Dachido


Dachido has initiated a farmer pulse tracker that captures farmer sentiments about crop selection for the current Zaid season (2025). It also captures the possible cropping area change for the season and tracks the possible crop shift that would shape the entire agricultural landscape, commodity prices, supply chain of various businesses dependent upon agricultural produce. This shall serve as a tactical input for farm input companies to plan agricultural input sales like seeds, pesticides etc. to plan for marketing their products. This shall also serve companies using agricultural produce, to have a view about future yields, crop prices etc., that impact their businesses.


While this is a humble beginning at Dachido, the future holds to integrate various AI-driven intelligence and machine learning tools like forecasting, Large Language Models (eg. ChatGpt) etc. to predict farm input volumes, commodity yields etc. Stay tuned and subscribe to our posts!


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