India leads global rice production after record harvest
India has achieved a historic milestone by surpassing China to become the world’s largest rice producer through a record-breaking harvest, as announced by India’s Minister of Agriculture, Shivraj Singh Chouhan, Qazinform News Agency reports, citing TV BRICS.
Production reached 154 million tonnes, fueling an agricultural boom with record wheat and maize yields.
According to initial estimates from the ministry, reported by News9, rice production hit a record 154.02 million tonnes in the 2025-26 agricultural year, up from 150.18 million tonnes in the previous period.
The minister credits this success to farmers' hard work, government programs, and the development of new seed varieties.
The milestone in rice production is part of wider agricultural progress. For 2025-26, total food grain output was estimated at 376.6 million tonnes, an increase of about 18.8 million tonnes from the prior year. Wheat achieved a record 120.7 million tonnes, and maize reached 55.1 million tonnes, both unprecedented figures.
The oilseed sector also achieved notable totals: 43.1 million tonnes overall, with peanuts at 13.1 million tonnes and rapeseed at 13.8 million tonnes.
Earlier, Qazinform News Agency reported that India had reinforced its standing as the world’s fastest-growing major steel producer, with crude steel output surging in March 2026.
