India surpassed China to become the largest rice producer

India has surpassed China to become the largest rice producer in the world with a production of 150.18 million tonnes, Union Agriculture Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan has said.

The minister said that China’s rice production stood at 145.28 million tonnes. India has achieved great success in the development of high-yielding seeds and was now a leading exporter of rice to



world markets, he added.

Chouhan launched 184 improved varieties of 25 field crops, developed by the Indian Council of Agricultural Research (ICAR), at an event held in the national capital. 

The 184 varieties that were released include 122 cereals, 6 pulses, 13 oilseeds, 11 fodder crops, 6 sugarcane, 24 cotton, and one each of jute and tobacco.