Largest Rice-Producing States in India

West Bengal is referred to as the largest rice-producing state in India. Rice is a very important food crop in India. Rice is the staple diet for many millions of people in India. Rice contributes to around 40 percent of the country’s total food grains production. Rice is produced mostly in the regions of West Bengal, Uttar Pradesh, Andhra Pradesh, and Punjab.

Rice

Rice is the most widely consumed cereal grain by more than half of the world’s population, primarily in Asia and Africa. After sugarcane and maize, rice is the agricultural commodity with the third-highest global production. It is the most important food crop in terms of human nutrition and caloric intake, providing more than 20% of the calories consumed globally by humans. There are various types of rice.

Rice is a staple food for over half of the global population, not only India. Every day, almost 3 billion people eat cereal. It is one of the most water-intensive crops. Rice cultivation in India has been hampered by several challenges, the most current of which is a labor scarcity resulting from the COVID-19 Lockdown. In this context, paddy farmers in granary states like Punjab are being encouraged to use the ‘Direct Seeding of Rice’ approach.

Top 3 Rice Producing States of India

According to the survey of 2020-21, the top 3 rice producing states of India include the following:

1. West Bengal
2. Uttar Pradesh
3. Punjab

An estimated 36 percent of the rice production is from 3 states, West Bengal alone contributes around 13.62 percent of the total rice production in India, followed by 12.81 percent and 9.96 percent by Uttar Pradesh and Punjab respectively. Rice is a kharif crop and requires an annual rainfall of more than 100 cm and high temperatures as well as humidity.

Rice Growing Regions in India

The rice-growing regions in India are as follows:

1. Southern region
2. Western Region
3. Northern Region
4. Eastern Region
5. North- Eastern Region

Southern Region

Andhra Pradesh, Tamil Nadu, Kerala and Karnataka are the major rice producing areas of South India. Rice is grown in southern India in deltaic regions which include Godavari, Krishna and Cauvery river.

Western Region

In western region. rice is grown in the states of Rajasthan, Gujarat and Maharashtra. Rice is grown in rice fed months of June to August and October to December.

Northern Region

In northern region, rice is grown in Jammu and Kashmir, Uttarakand, Himachal pradesh, western Uttar Pradesh, Punjab and Haryana.

Eastern Region

Rice in eastern region is grown in West Bengal, Eastern Uttar pradesh, Odisha, Madhya Pradesh, Chattisgarh, Bihar and Jharkhand. The intensity of rice cultivation is highest in eastern region and grown in ganga and mahanadi river basins.

North-Eastern Region

Rice is grown in Assam and other northeast states and is grown under heavy rainfall conditions. Rice is grown in the Brahmaputra basin.

Major Rice Producing Nations

The major rice producing nations are as follows:

1. China
2. India
3. Indonesia
4. Bangladesh
5. Vietnam

Related Links

1. Major Food crops in India
2. Rice bowl of India
3. Green Revolution has Made India Self-Sufficient in Food Grains

Frequently Asked Questions

Which state is largest producer of rice in India?

West Bengal is the largest producer of rice in India.

Which state is largest producer of agriculture in India?

Uttar Pradesh.

Which country is largest producer of rice?

China.

Which state is called rice bowl of India?

Andhra Pradesh is called rice bowl of India.

Which is the second largest producer of rice in India?

Uttar Pradesh.