India’s average productivity is about 3.5 tonnes per hectare for paddy and about 2.3 tonnes per hectare for milled rice. In comparison, China records an average yield of about 4 tonnes per hectare. The more important finding is that China’s productivity is about 70 percent higher than India’s, underscoring the structural differences between the two countries.
India’s emergence as the world’s largest rice producer has been widely discussed in recent weeks. Last year, India’s rice production reached 150 million tonnes, surpassing China’s 145 million tonnes. While this is an important milestone, experts caution that the headline figure does not paint the full picture.
The main difference is in acres and productivity. Rice is currently cultivated in about 44 million hectares in India, which is a record level. In contrast, China has strategically reduced its rice acreage by about 4 million hectares in recent years, from 32 million hectares to 28 million hectares. Despite cultivating 16 million hectares less than India, China’s production lags behind India’s by only about 50 million tonnes.
Productivity tells the real story
The average yield of paddy in India is about 3.5 tonnes per hectare, which is about 2.3 tonnes per hectare in terms of milled rice. China’s average rice productivity is around 4 tons per hectare. In fact, on a comparative basis, China’s productivity is about 70 percent higher than India’s.
Agriculture experts argue that merely being the largest producer is not a sufficient benchmark. Bridging the productivity gap with China may be a more meaningful and sustainable objective.
India is attempting to rationalize rice acreage, especially in water-stressed areas like Punjab, Haryana, western Uttar Pradesh and Telangana. Excessive groundwater exploitation for paddy cultivation has increased the pressure on water resources in these states.
Also, record procurement under the Minimum Support Price (MSP) system has led to historically high rice stocks in the central pool. Assured procurement of paddy, especially during the Kharif season, encourages farmers to continue preferring rice over alternative crops. Other kharif crops do not receive comparable procurement support, impacting crop decisions.
An unintended consequence of surplus rice production is India’s increasing dependence on imports of pulses and edible oils, as acreage is tilted towards paddy.
export paradox
India has retained its position as the world’s largest rice exporter for many years, shipping more than 20 million tonnes annually. Most of this is non-Basmati rice, which is exported at relatively low prices.
Recent export deals with Bangladesh were reportedly concluded at around Rs 32 per kg. However, the economic cost of rice procured by the government during the current Kharif marketing season is estimated to be around Rs 40 per kg. Such pricing raises questions about the sustainability and justification of exporting at rates below procurement cost.
India’s total rice exports are worth about Rs 90,000 crore, of which Basmati rice is worth about Rs 50,000 crore. Of the 20 million tonnes exported, about 6 million tonnes are Basmati and 14 million tonnes are non-Basmati varieties.
Shift to higher value varieties
According to Dr Ashok Kumar Singh, former director of the Indian Agricultural Research Institute, (IARI) Pusa, India needs to realign its rice strategy. More emphasis should be given to high quality rice, especially Basmati and other aromatic non-Basmati varieties, which fetch better returns in international markets.
There is ample scope for expansion of Basmati cultivation, especially in Geographical Indication-designated states. In Punjab, rice is cultivated in about 3 million hectares, but Basmati is cultivated in only around 0.6 million hectares. Rice cultivation in Haryana is about 1.4 million hectares, of which about 0.6 million hectares is devoted to Basmati. Experts believe that the area under Basmati can be further increased in Punjab, which will increase the income of farmers and promote crop diversification while reducing the area under non-Basmati paddy.
Rethinking the development model
Many experts suggest that instead of just celebrating production rankings, India should give priority to increasing average productivity and reducing the total area under paddy. Increasing yields by diversifying cropping patterns can help save water, balance imports of other food commodities, and improve agricultural profitability.
India’s status as the largest rice producer is undoubtedly a historic achievement. However, the deeper challenge is to improve efficiency, ensure better value realization and align production with long-term sustainability goals.
