Several of India’s leading rice-producing states have all experienced a good recovery in rice output over the last year, assisting the country in maintaining its position as one of the world’s top rice producers and exporters in 2018.
Over the years, the rice sector in India has been one of the most important contributors to the country’s economic growth, foreign exchange profits, and employment rates. Because of their enormous rice growing area and favorable soil and climate conditions, India’s largest rice producing states are projected to continue to dominate the country’s rice sector.
Rice is India’s most important agricultural crop, accounting for more than 40% of the country’s total food grain production. According to Government of India figures, total rice output in India declined by roughly 1%, or 1.1 million tonnes, from the previous fiscal year to 104.32 million tonnes in 2015-16. However, overall rice production in India is expected to increase to 108.86 million tonnes in 2016-17, a new high. The predicted total exceeds the previous record production of 106.65 million tonnes set in 2013-14. It is also greater than the five-year average of 105.42 million tonnes of rice production.
Basmati rice is India’s major export product, accounting for over half of all rice produced in the country.
India is expected to have produced over 4.25 million metric tons of basmati rice, accounting for nearly 75% of total global production.
Two-thirds of India’s basmati rice production is exported. Along with the United Kingdom and the United States, Iran and Saudi Arabia are the largest importers of Indian basmati rice. Currently, West Bengal, Uttar Pradesh, Andhra Pradesh, Punjab, Tamil Nadu, Orissa, Bihar, and Chhattisgarh are home to the majority of India’s leading rice suppliers and exporters. These major rice-producing states account for around 72 percent of total rice-growing area in India and provide more than 75 percent of overall rice production in the country.
India’s Top Ten Rice-Producing States
| Rank | States | 2016 Production (Thousand Tonnes) |
| 1 | West Bengal | 15748 |
| 2 | Uttar Pradesh | 12509 |
| 3 | Punjab | 11823 |
| 4 | Tamilnadu | 7982 |
| 5 | Andhra Pradesh | 7490 |
| 6 | Bihar | 6488 |
| 7 | Chhattisgarh | 6094 |
| 8 | Orissa | 5877 |
| 9 | Assam | 5144 |
| 10 | Haryana | 4145 |
West Bengal is India’s largest rice producing state. Rice agriculture covers over half of the region’s arable land, amounting to around 5 million hectares of rice growing area. West Bengal produced more than 15.7 million tonnes of rice in fiscal year 2016, maintaining its position as India’s leading rice producer. These top ten Indian states, along with the other largest rice producing states, are likely to continue producing at world-leading rates in the foreseeable future.
Uttar Pradesh is another important rice producer in India, ranking second among the top ten rice producing states in the country. Rice is grown extensively throughout Uttar Pradesh, with a total growing area of more than 5.9 million hectares. In addition, the state boasts a high rice production of more than 2,300 kg per hectare. Uttar Pradesh accounts for more than 13% of total rice production in the country.
Punjab is India’s third largest rice producing state, producing over 12 million tonnes of rice per year across its 2.8 million hectares of rice farming area. Punjab is also India’s top Basmati rice producer, with over 2 million tonnes of Basmati rice produced each year. Punjab presently accounts for roughly 10% of total rice output in India, and this percentage is expected to grow further as rice cultivating acreage in Punjab continues to expand.
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