Estimated production volume of food grains India FY 2024, by type

The production of rice was the highest with around 138 million metric tons in fiscal year 2024 across India among the other food grains. Rice is one of the staple foods of the south Asian country. The production of wheat saw the second highest volume after rice in that year.

The population dilemma

India, the second largest population in the world, accounts for a significant contribution towards the global agricultural produce. It is among the leading producers of various products ranging from milk, fruits, and vegetables to cash crops such as cotton and coffee. However, increasing population consequently has led to an increased consumption of food grains, which is not supplemented by agricultural growth. The cropped areas for grains have remained steady even with higher requirements from the produce, resulting in a stagnant volume of production of grains across the country.

Competition in the Asia Pacific

Even though the agricultural area under grain production has witnessed minor fluctuations over recent years, the cropped areas are majorly utilized for grain production. This has resulted in India being second only to China in the field of major food grain producers in the Asia Pacific region. Recent development of industry standards and reduction of wastage of food grain accompanied with efficient farm productivity can help the country embody both self-sufficiency and a global export market.