India emerges as the world’s largest rice producer, surpassing China

 India is poised to overtake China as the world’s largest rice producer in 2024–25, with total foodgrain output reaching a record 353.2 MT. Strong monsoon rains fueled substantial growth in rice, wheat, pulses, and oilseeds, reflecting a strong agricultural performance. Anticipating another above-normal monsoon, the government has set a record foodgrain production target of 354.64 million tonnes for the 2025–26 crop year.

India’s foodgrain production reached a record 353.2 million tonnes (MT) in the 2024–25 crop year (July–June), marking a 6% increase from the previous year. This growth was primarily driven by higher outputs of rice, wheat, pulses, and oilseeds, according to the agriculture ministry’s third advance estimates. 

Rice production rose by 8% to 149.07 MT, while wheat output increased by 3.7% to 117.5 MT. Pulses production saw a 4% rise to 25.23 MT, and oilseeds production increased by over 7% to 42.6 MT. Notably, groundnut and soybean outputs hit record highs at 11.89 MT and 15.18 MT respectively.

Agriculture Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan stated that this year’s rice, wheat, corn, groundnut, and soybean production reached unprecedented levels. The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) projects China’s rice output at 145.28 MT for 2024–25, meaning India will surpass China to become the world’s largest rice producer. India has been the top rice exporter since 2012.

Favourable monsoon conditions significantly contributed to this output. The 2024 southwest monsoon rainfall was 108% of the long-period average, aiding both kharif (summer) and rabi (winter) sowing seasons. Kharif sowing contributes approximately 60% to the country’s total annual crop production.

Nearly 50% of Indian farmland depends on monsoon rains for growing kharif crops like paddy, pulses, and oilseeds. These rains also replenish soil moisture, benefiting the rabi crop season.

With another above-normal monsoon forecast, the government has set a record foodgrain production target of 354.64 MT for the 2025–26 crop year. This target may be revised upward if the favorable monsoon projections hold true. A second consecutive year of strong monsoon rains is expected to support robust agricultural output and overall sector performance.