Fact Box: Rice Cultivation in India
- India is the world's second-largest producer of rice, and the largest exporter of rice in the world.
- Major rice producing states: West Bengal, UP, Andhra Pradesh, Punjab and Tamil Nadu.
- Rice Growing Regions in India
- North-Eastern Region: Assam and other northeastern states. Rice is grown in the Brahmaputra River Basin. The region experiences heavy rainfall and relies on rainfed cultivation.
- Eastern Region: Bihar, Chhattisgarh, Jharkhand, Madhya Pradesh, Odisha, Eastern Uttar Pradesh, and West Bengal. Rice is cultivated in the Ganga and Mahanadi river basins. This region has the highest rice cultivation intensity in the country, with heavy rainfall and primarily rainfed cultivation.
- Northern Region: Haryana, Punjab, Western Uttar Pradesh, Uttarakhand, Himachal Pradesh, and Jammu & Kashmir. Experiences low winter temperatures. Rice is grown as a single crop from May-July to September-December.
- Western Region: Gujarat, Maharashtra, and Rajasthan. Rice is grown under rainfed conditions from June-August to October-December.
- Southern Region: Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka, Kerala, and Tamil Nadu. Rice is cultivated in the deltaic tracts of the Godavari, Krishna, and Cauvery rivers, as well as in the non-deltaic rainfed areas of Tamil Nadu and Andhra Pradesh. Irrigated cultivation is prominent in the deltaic tracts.
- Cultivation of the carbohydrate-rich grain is a major contributor to the emission of two greenhouse gases (GHG) - methane and nitrous oxide.
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