Rice production milestone: India overtakes China as top global producer, says minister; output hits 150.18 million tonnes

India has emerged as the world’s largest rice producer, surpassing China with an output of 150.18 million tonnes, Union agriculture minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan said on Sunday.The announcement came as the minister released 184 new varieties of 25 crops developed by the Indian Council of Agricultural Research (ICAR) at an event in the national capital.Addressing the gathering, Chouhan said India has achieved “great success” in developing high-yielding seeds and has transformed from a food-deficient nation into a global food provider. “India has surpassed China in rice production and has become the world’s largest producer,” he said, adding that China’s rice output stands at 145.28 million tonnes. He described the achievement as unprecedented and said India is now supplying rice to overseas markets, as per news agency PTI.The minister noted that the country has adequate foodgrain stocks, ensuring food security. He also directed officials to ensure that the newly released seed varieties reach farmers quickly so that they can benefit from higher yields and better-quality produce.According to PTI, since the gazette notification process began in 1969, a total of 7,205 crop varieties have been notified. Of these, 3,236 high-yielding varieties were approved under the Narendra Modi-led government, compared with 3,969 varieties notified between 1969 and 2014.The 184 new varieties include 122 cereals, six pulses, 13 oilseeds, 11 fodder crops, six sugarcane varieties, 24 cotton varieties — including 22 Bt cotton — and one variety each of jute and tobacco. These have been developed by ICAR institutes, state and central agricultural universities, and private seed companies. The varieties are climate-resilient, high-yielding, and resistant to major pests and diseases.Chouhan said the country has entered a new phase of agricultural revolution driven by climate-resilient seeds and urged scientists to focus on boosting pulses and oilseeds production to achieve self-sufficiency. Agriculture secretary Devesh Chaturvedi said seed multiplication rates have been increased by 1.5 to two times to strengthen availability, with national and state seed corporations ensuring quality seeds at affordable prices.