Agriculture is the primary employment source and livelihood of Indian farmers, which is why India is known as the largest producer of a variety of crops, such as rice. Any thali served in every Indian home or restaurant is incomplete without rice. As a side-served dish, rice complements any vegetable or a complete meal.
Rice is loaded with minerals that fulfil the body’s day-to-day requirements while giving energy to the body. It is a typical crop eaten by 40% of India’s population. Since rice is the most sought-after and staple food item, it requires favourable weather conditions, making it look healthy and white like every other food item. It is a tropical plant that quickly grows in a hot and humid environment. It is the staple food of the southern and eastern parts of India.
Rice is an essential agricultural crop in India, estimated to account for more than 40 per cent of India’s total food grain production. According to the report released by the Government of India, the total rice production in India declined by about 1.1 million tonnes from the previous financial year to 104.32 million tonnes from 2015 to 2016. However, the country’s total rice production was estimated to increase to 108.86 million tonnes in 2016-2017.
Things to know about rice grown in India
- All rice variations are produced as brown rice.
- Most of the world serves rice as a staple food.
- Indian farmers grow rice as per the variety and type.
- Unlike wheat and corn, rice needs more development
- Each variation of rice has a distinctive fragrance, taste, and properties.
- Each variety is used for cooking numerous types of recipes.
Different types of Rice in India
There are twenty types of rice varieties available throughout the country. Some of them are as follows:
- Mogra Rice
- Brown Rice
- Jasmine Rice
- Basmati Rice
- Brown Rice
- Mogra Rice
- Wild Rice
- Black Rice
- Red Cargo Rice
- Red Rice
- Sushi Rice
- White Rice
- Indrayani Rice
- Purple Thai Rice, etc.
List of Largest Rice Producing States in India
1. West Bengal
West Bengal is the most important producer of rice in India. Half of the state’s arable land is devoted to rice cultivation. In 2014-2015, West Bengal produced 14.80 million tonnes of rice, estimated at 12% of the country’s total production, making a significant contribution.
After that, rice production in West Bengal stood at 15.57 million tonnes (2020-2021). Later, this ratio fluctuates significantly. Being the largest rice-producing state, farmers grow rice in the smaller Gangetic plains, especially in Birbhum, Midnapore, Bardhaman, 24 Parganas and other areas.
2. Uttar Pradesh
After West Bengal, Uttar Pradesh is the 2nd largest rice producer because it produces rice in more than 60 districts. And these districts fall under the category of high productivity group, medium productivity, medium-low productivity group, low productivity group, and very low productivity group. Uttar Pradesh follows closely behind West Bengal, contributing around 11% to India’s rice production.
In 2020, Uttar Pradesh produced 14.52 million tonnes of rice. However, after that, the rice production of UP declined significantly. About 25 per cent of the well-established area of the state is engaged in paddy cultivation. Whereas Gorakhpur, Bareilly, Muzaffarnagar, Barabanki, Lakhimpur Kheri and others are the major rice-producing states of Uttar Pradesh.
The different varieties of rice produced within the state are Pusa Basmati Rice, Mahsuri, Jaya, Panth-4 and Kasturi Basmati Rice. Here farmers are also producing rice on 59 hectares.
3. Andhra Pradesh
Andhra Pradesh is the 3rd major rice producer in India. As per the data, it produced 8.64 million tonnes of rice in 2020. Before this period, they produced 7.45 million tonnes of rice in 2017, the significant difference from 2017 to 2020 showing how Andhra Pradesh grows rice at an average annual pace of 5.13%. Recently, andhra pradesh rice production is 12.89 million tonnes yearly. More than 20 regions of the state are from this state which is the largest rice-producing region of India. Some include Krishna Purva, Sarwani, Samael, Sashari, etc.
4. Punjab
The state produces rice on 2.6 million hectares land, making Punjab solely an irrigated area & largest rice producer. While some areas in the state restrict rice production due to unstable intensive rice production systems, lack of water scarcity due to early summer, availability of salt, and non-availability of micro-elements in the soil.
The state has cultivated rice in an area of 5.62 lakh hectares under DSR (Direct Cultivation of Rice), an increase of 62k hectares from last year’s DSR area. The Punjab region is witnessing a rapid growth of 10.54 million tonnes of rice. It is famous for cultivating Basmati rice like Mahi Sugandha, Ranbir Basmati, Ranbir Basmati and Pusa Basmati. Due to being at the top of the list in terms of rice yield per hectare, districts like Ludhiana, Ferozepur, Patiala, and Sangrur have become the most significant contributors to rice production.
5. Tamil Nadu
Twenty-eight regions of Tamil Nadu are engaged in rice production, of which one region is under low efficiency, and 27 regions are highly productive. It is the most famous rice-producing state in South India. Rice is produced in Tamil Nadu on 2.2 million hectares of land. According to the study, about 39000 kg of rice is cultivated per hectare. Aduthurai, Aravan Kuruva, Amsipiti Dhan, and Ambasamudram are some of the rice variations in the state. Some of the significant areas of the state engaged in rice production are Villupuram, Tiruvannamalai, Thanjavur, Nagapattinam and Tiruvarur.
6. Bihar
Around 37% of regions of Bihar are dedicated to rice production, out of which 25 areas are the low productivity region, showing 63% to 36.57% lakh hectares of the entire region under rice in the state. The state produces Richhariya, Dhanalakshmi, Gautam, and Saroj rice in the winter, and CR 44-35, Gautam Pusa-33, Pusa-2-21, and Prabhat rice varieties in the summer.
7. Chhattisgarh
In the 7th position in rice production, Chhattisgarh is also called the rice bowl of India. The farmers who belong to this region produce 20k varieties of rice. These variations are Lal Dhan, Chudi Paddy, Turia Kabri, and Red bangle paddy.
8. Odisha
As cultivated with rice, rice is inseparable from food in Odisha. About 63% of this area is involved in food grain production, while 69% of the developed area is involved in rice cultivation. Odisha ranks 8th in rice production with 5% of the total rice production. The state is famous for growing rice in various climatic conditions and varied environments. Overall, it is on the list of India’s most important rice-producing states.
9. Assam
Rice is the leading staple food in Assam. The rice produced within the state is more than 1700 Kg for every hectare. Rice production in the state is leading to its vast hereditary variations, which is why it has been mentioned in the list of the largest rice-producing states in India.
10. Haryana
Haryana ranks 10th and is known for its good quantity of rice production. More than 10 regions of Haryana engaged in the production of rice only, some of which are in high-efficiency or low-skilled sectors.
Final Words
Rice is one of the most commonly served foods in most southern and eastern parts of the country, and it has different variations to prepare different dishes. I hope this guide will provide you with detailed information about the largest producing state for rice in India.
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Santosh Kumar is an editor at unfoldstuffs.com and a professional content writer. With years of experience he is passionate for creating engaging, informative and impactful topics.
