{"id":91219,"date":"2026-03-06T11:32:11","date_gmt":"2026-03-06T06:02:11","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/vajiramandravi.com\/current-affairs\/?p=91219"},"modified":"2026-03-06T11:32:11","modified_gmt":"2026-03-06T06:02:11","slug":"indias-rice-production-and-export-strategy","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/vajiramandravi.com\/current-affairs\/indias-rice-production-and-export-strategy\/","title":{"rendered":"Rethinking India\u2019s Rice Production and Export Strategy"},"content":{"rendered":"<h2><b>India\u2019s Rice Production and Export Strategy Latest News<\/b><\/h2>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">India has been the world\u2019s <\/span><b>largest rice exporter<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> since 2011\u201312. In 2024\u201325, India exported about 21.69 million tonnes, far higher than Thailand (7.86 million tonnes) and Vietnam (8.06 million tonnes).<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">India also became the <\/span><b>largest rice producer<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> in the world in 2024\u201325, with an estimated 150 million tonnes of output, surpassing China\u2019s 145.28 million tonnes.<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">However, the key challenge ahead is maintaining this leadership while ensuring environmental sustainability and financial viability.<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h2><b>Environmental Costs of Paddy Cultivation<\/b><\/h2>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Paddy is an extremely <\/span><b>water-intensive crop<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">. A single irrigation covering one acre to a depth of 2.5 cm requires about 1,01,171 litres of water.\u00a0<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">To control weeds, paddy fields are usually kept submerged under about 5 cm of water for long periods.<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Depending on crop duration and planting time, paddy requires 20 to more than 30 irrigations.\u00a0<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Under the conventional system of transplanting with continuous flooding, about 25 irrigations at 5 cm depth can consume roughly 5 million litres of water per acre.<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h3><b>Water Footprint of Rice Production<\/b><\/h3>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">With an average yield of 2.5 tonnes of paddy per acre, producing one kilogram of paddy requires about 2,000 litres of water.\u00a0<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">After milling (which gives about two-thirds recovery), one kilogram of rice requires nearly 3,000 litres of water.<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">This means that every kilogram of rice exported by India effectively represents the export of about <\/span><b>3,000 litres of water<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">, raising concerns about the environmental sustainability of large-scale rice exports.<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h2><b>Financial Sustainability of Rice Exports<\/b><\/h2>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">India exports both <\/span><b>basmati and non-basmati rice<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">, but their export values differ significantly.\u00a0<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">In 2023\u201324 and 2024\u201325, basmati exports were about 5\u20136 million tonnes, less than half of non-basmati exports (11\u201314 million tonnes).<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">However, the <\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">export value of both categories was almost similar<\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">. Basmati exports earned about $5.8\u20135.9 billion, while non-basmati exports generated $4.5\u20136.5 billion.<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The average unit value of basmati rice was \u20b982.9\u201392.3 per kg, compared with \u20b934\u201339.2 per kg for non-basmati rice, showing that basmati brings higher revenue per kilogram.<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h3><b>Water Efficiency in Basmati Cultivation<\/b><\/h3>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Basmati rice also requires less irrigation water compared with many non-basmati varieties.\u00a0<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Non-basmati paddy is usually transplanted in June, during peak summer, which requires frequent irrigation.<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">In contrast, basmati varieties are transplanted in July with the onset of monsoon, reducing the need for irrigation.<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h3><b>Climatic Advantage for Aroma<\/b><\/h3>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Basmati crops flower and develop grains in October, when temperatures fall to 30\u201331\u00b0C.\u00a0<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">These cooler conditions help the formation of <\/span><b><i>2-acetyl-1-pyrroline<\/i><\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">, the compound responsible for basmati\u2019s distinctive aroma.<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">If transplanted earlier in June, grain filling happens in September when temperatures remain high, which reduces aroma quality.<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h3><b>Shift Towards High-Value Rice Exports<\/b><\/h3>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Because basmati generates higher export earnings and uses less water, it offers better economic and environmental returns.\u00a0<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Experts suggest increasing exports of basmati and other high-value aromatic rice varieties.<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">These include GI-protected varieties such as Kalanamak and Adamchini (Uttar Pradesh), Katarni (Bihar), Gobindobhog (West Bengal), Badshah Bhog (Chhattisgarh), Koraput Kalajeera (Odisha), Wayanad Jeerakasala and Gandhakasala (Kerala), and Seeraga Samba (Tamil Nadu).<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The broader goal is to shift from exporting bulk commodity rice to exporting high-value, less water-intensive rice varieties.<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h2><b>Towards a Non-Basmati Phaseout Strategy<\/b><\/h2>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">India\u2019s basmati exports have increased sharply from 0.6\u20130.7 million tonnes in the early 2000s to 5\u20136 million tonnes in recent years.\u00a0<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Export earnings have also risen from $400\u2013450 million to about $5.8\u20135.9 billion.\u00a0<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">This growth is largely due to high-yielding basmati varieties developed by scientists at the Indian Agricultural Research Institute (IARI).<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h3><b>High-Yield Modern Basmati Varieties<\/b><\/h3>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><b>Pusa Basmati-1509<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> yields about 2.5 tonnes of paddy per acre and matures in 115\u2013120 days, compared with 1 tonne yield and 155\u2013160 days maturity for traditional basmati varieties.<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">India\u2019s basmati GI region covers about 6.2 million hectares across Punjab, Haryana, western Uttar Pradesh, Uttarakhand, Jammu and Himachal Pradesh.<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">However, actual basmati cultivation is only about 2.1 million hectares. Expanding basmati to the entire GI area could increase production, exports, and sustainability in rice farming.<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h3><b>Policy Measures for Transition<\/b><\/h3>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Experts suggest gradually reducing non-basmati rice cultivation in water-stressed regions like Punjab and Haryana.<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The government could instead procure non-basmati paddy from eastern states such as Uttar Pradesh, Bihar, West Bengal and Assam, where groundwater stress is lower.<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The government can set a floor price for basmati paddy in mandis to protect farmers from price crashes.<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h2><b>Advances in Rice Breeding Strategies<\/b><\/h2>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">IARI scientists introduced genes from wild rice and landraces into popular varieties such as Pusa Basmati-1509, 1121 and 1401 using marker-assisted selection.<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">This led to disease-resistant varieties Pusa Basmati-1847, 1885 and 1886, which resist bacterial leaf blight and rice blast.<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Genetic resistance reduces the need for antibiotics and fungicides. Lower chemical use helps maintain basmati\u2019s premium quality in global markets.<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h3><b>Tackling Other Crop Threats<\/b><\/h3>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Researchers are now identifying genes for resistance against diseases (bakanae, false smut, brown spot) and pests (stem borer, leaf folder, plant hoppers).<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The focus is also on traits like drought, heat and salinity tolerance.<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><b>Source:<\/b> <strong><a href=\"https:\/\/indianexpress.com\/article\/explained\/explained-economics\/india-rice-production-exports-rethink-basmati-10559869\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">IE<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>India\u2019s Rice Production and Export Strategy must balance export leadership with water sustainability, higher-value basmati exports, and improved rice breeding technologies.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":18,"featured_media":91253,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[18],"tags":[5883,60,22,59],"class_list":{"0":"post-91219","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-upsc-mains-current-affairs","8":"tag-indias-rice-production-and-export-strategy","9":"tag-mains-articles","10":"tag-upsc-current-affairs","11":"tag-upsc-mains-current-affairs","12":"no-featured-image-padding"},"acf":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/vajiramandravi.com\/current-affairs\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/91219","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/vajiramandravi.com\/current-affairs\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/vajiramandravi.com\/current-affairs\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/vajiramandravi.com\/current-affairs\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/18"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/vajiramandravi.com\/current-affairs\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=91219"}],"version-history":[{"count":4,"href":"https:\/\/vajiramandravi.com\/current-affairs\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/91219\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":91259,"href":"https:\/\/vajiramandravi.com\/current-affairs\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/91219\/revisions\/91259"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/vajiramandravi.com\/current-affairs\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/91253"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/vajiramandravi.com\/current-affairs\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=91219"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/vajiramandravi.com\/current-affairs\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=91219"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/vajiramandravi.com\/current-affairs\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=91219"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}