Paper: Geography of India

Topic: Agricultural Production and Distribution of Rice (Unit – IV)

Department of Geography
B.A./ B.Sc (IV Semester)

Introduction
Agriculture form the backbone of Indian economy and food crops form the backbone of Indian agriculture. It
covers about three-fourths of the total cropped area in the country and contribute to about half of the total value
of agricultural production. No part of the country is without food crops. They are grown in all parts of the
country either as a sole crop or in combinations with other crops. The importance of food crops grows with the
growth of population because these crops provide the basic and essential food for man.
Rice is the most important food crops of India which covers one-fourth of the total cropped area and providing
food to about half of the Indian population. It is the staple food of the people living in eastern and southern
India. Rice is predominantly a Kharif or summer crop.
Geographical condition required for the cultivation of Rice
(a) Temperature
 Rice requires hot and humid conditions
 The temperature should be fairly high i.e. 24°C mean monthly temperature with average temperature of
22°C to 32°C.
(b) Rainfall
 Rainfall ranging between 150-300 cms is suitable for its growth.
 In areas of Punjab, Haryana and Western Uttar Pradesh where rainfall is less than 100 cm, rice is
cultivated with the help of irrigation.
(c) Soil
 Rice is grown in varied soil but deep clayey and loamy soil provides the ideal conditions.
 Rice is primarily grown in plain areas.
 It is also grown below sea level at Kuttinad (Kerala), hill terraces of north eastern part of India and also
in valley of Kashmir.
(d) Labour
 Rice cultivation requires easily available cheap labor because most of the activities associated with it
are labor orientated and are not very well suited for mechanization.

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Methods of Rice Cultivation
(1) Broadcasting Method: Seeds are sown broadcast by hand. This method is practiced in those areas which
are comparatively dry and less fertile and do not have much labour to work in the fields. It is the easiest method
requiring minimum input but its yields are also very low.
(2) Transplantation Method: This method is practiced in areas of fertile soil, abundant rainfall and plentiful
supply of labour. To begin with, seeds are sown in nursery and seedlings are prepared. After 4-5 weeks the
seedlings are uprooted and planted in the field which has already been prepared for the purpose. The entire
process is done by hand. It is, therefore, a very difficult method and requires heavy inputs. But at the same time
it gives some of the highest yields.
(3) Drilling Method: Ploughing of land and sowing of seeds is done by two persons. This method is mostly
confined to peninsular India.
(4) Japanese Method: This method includes the use of high yielding varieties of seeds, sowing the seeds in a
raised nursery-bed and transplanting the seedlings in rows so as to make weeding and fertilizing easy. It also
involves the use of a heavy dose of fertilizers so that very high yields are obtained. The Japanese method of
rice cultivation has been successfully adopted in the main rice producing regions of India.
Rice Cropping Season in India

Crops Local Name Sowing Harvesting Percentage of Percentage of

Area Production
Autumn Aus or Kar May – June Sept - Oct 39.4 43.91
(Kharif)

Winter (Rabi) Aman, Sali, June – July Nov – Dece. 54.2 48.79
Karthika

Summer Boro or Daula Nov. – Dec. March - April 4-6 7-24

(Spring)

Production and Distribution of Rice

 India is the second largest producer and consumer of rice in the world after China.
 The country contributes 21 per cent of the total rice production of the world. India was the largest
exporter of rice in 2015-16 followed by Thailand and Vietnam and Pakistan.
 Rice is grown in almost all the parts of India except higher parts of Himalayan range, deserts of
Rajasthan and Gujarat, Malwa and Marathwara region. The main rice producing states are West
Bengal, Tamil Nadu, Andhra Pradesh, Bihar, Jharkhand, Uttarakhand, Chhattisgarh, Punjab, Odisha,

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 Uttar Pradesh, Karnataka, Assam and Maharashtra. It is also grown in Haryana, Madhya Pradesh, Kerala,
Gujarat and Kashmir Valley, eastern coastal plains.
 Two to three crops of rice are raised annually in the deltas of Mahanadi, Godavari, Krishna and
Kaveri. Besides, rice is grown on terraced fields of the hills from Kashmir to Assam.
 The premier rice producing region of the country are lower and middle Ganga Plain, the east and west
coastal plain, the Brahmaputra valley and parts of Peninsular Plateau.
 The production of rice has increased considerably in the states Punjab, Haryana and Western Uttar
Pradesh after the introduction of Green Revolution.
 The latest data on rice production reveals that the states of West Bengal, U.P., Punjab and Andhra
Pradesh collectively contribute nearly 50 per cent of the total rice production of the country.
Rice: Area, Production and Yield in India
Year Area Production Yield
(million hectares) (million tons) (Kg/Hectare)
1990-91 42.69 74.29 1740.2
2001-02 44.90 93.34 2079.0
2005-06 43.66 91.79 2102.0
2009-10 41.85 89.13 2129.7
2010-11 36.95 80.41 2177.0
Source: Directorate of Economics and Statistics
Rice: Area, Production and Yield (2016-17) in Major States
Area Production Yield
Rank State
(Million Hectares) (Million Tonnes) (Kg./Hectare)
1 West Bengal 5.5 15.3 2784
2 Uttar Pradesh 5.99 13.75 2295
3 Punjab 2.9 11.59 3998
4 Odisha 3.85 8.33 2160
5 Bihar 3.34 8.24 2467
6 Chhattisgarh 3.83 8.05 2101
7 Andhra Pradesh 2.11 7.45 3540
8 Telangana 1.68 5.17 3075
9 Assam 2.47 4.73 1916
10 Haryana 1.39 4.45 3213
11 Madhya Pradesh 2.29 4.23 1847
12 Tamil Nadu 1.44 2.37 1642
13 Others 7.21 16.04 -
14 All India 43.99 109.7 2494
Source: Directorate of Economics and Statistics

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Figure showing rice cropped area

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Figure showing major rice growing areas