Union Agriculture Minister also released 184 new high-yielding seed varieties for 25 crops.
Status of Rice Production and export:
- Major producers of rice: India (150 MT),China, Indonesia, Bangladesh, Japan, Sri Lanka and Egypt.
- State wise Production in India (2024-25): Uttar Pradesh (13.8%), Telangana (11.6%), West Bengal (10.6%), Punjab (9.5%), Chhatisgarh (7%) etc.
- Export: India is the world's largest rice exporter (exporting 20.1 million metric tonnes of rice in 2024–25).
- Major export destinations of India's Rice: Saudi Arabia, Iran, Iraq, Benin, United Arab Emirates etc.
About Rice Crop
- Type: Major food crop of the world and staple diet of the tropical and sub-tropical regions.
- Growth Conditions:
- Rice is grown under varying conditions in India from 8°N to 30°N latitude and from sea level to about 2,500 metre altitude.
- Grown in variety of soils including silts, loams and gravels and can tolerate acidic as well as alkaline soils.
- Abundant rainfall (100-150cm), high humidity and high temperature (30°C during day and 20°C at night).
- Paddy is a semi-aquatic plant that requires standing water (averaging 10–15 cm) for three-quarters of its growing season.
- It grows best in impermeable subsoil with a pH between 5.5 and 6.5.
- Cropping Seasons in India: Rice is grown in three distinct seasons based on the region:
- Aman (Winter rice): Sown in June–July and harvested in November–December.
- Aus (Autumn rice): Sown in May–June and harvested in September–October.
- Boro (Summer rice): Cultivated between November and May, often in areas that remain moist during winter.
