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Khatkar B.S., Chaudhary N. and Dangi P. (2016) Production and Consumption of Grains: India. In:
Wrigley, C., Corke, H., and Seetharaman, K., Faubion, J., (eds.) Encyclopedia of Food Grains, 2nd
Edition, pp. 367-373. Oxford: Academic Press.
Topic Highlights of Indian agriculture can be divided into six phases viz. pre-
green revolution period (1960–61 to 1968–69), early green
• Agriculture accounts for considerable importance in India’s revolution period (1968–69 to 1975–76), period of wider
economic development, as it provides food for more than technology dissemination (1975–76 to 1988–89), period of
1.2 billion people and total employment to about 54.6% of diversification (1988–89 to 1995–96); postreform period
the population. (1995–96 to 2004–05), and period of recovery (2004–05 to
• India holds the second-largest agricultural land (179.9 2010–11). The green revolution period was the golden period
million hectares) in the world. for Indian agriculture, as it witnessed tremendous growth in
• Food grain production covers the dominant part of the agricultural production. During the period of wider dissemi-
cropped area (65%) in Indian agriculture. nation of technology, the spread of green revolution technol-
• India is the world’s largest producer of millets and second- ogies pushed to maintain the increasing rhythm of growth
largest producer of wheat, rice, and pulses. across various regions realized during the previous period.
• The highest food grain production of 259.32 million However, a visible deceleration of growth was experienced
tonnes was recorded in 2011–12. during the postreform period, as both public and private
• The cereals other than rice and wheat contributed 1 kg per investments suffered a setback, which resulted in the sluggish
person per month in rural India and 0.8 kg per person per performance of the sector. Moreover, yield levels of most of the
month in urban India in 2011–12. crops suffered a deceleration because use of primary resources
• The consumption of all food grains per person in the rural in the sector also slowed down. The descending trend of
areas is projected to decline from 15.3 kg per month in growth continued up to 2004–05, after which a sharp return
2000 to 13.8 kg per month by 2050 and only slightly was attained that can be attributed to a conscious increment in
decrease from 11.8 to 11.6 kg per month in the urban areas. public and private ventures and substantial improvement in
• The nongrain food crops and animal products contributed trade in favor of the agricultural sector.
27% and 8%, respectively, of the total caloric requirement.
• Meat consumption in India is very low due to cultural and
religious reasons, and most of the calories from animal
products are obtained from milk and milk products. Food Grain Production
300
200
150
100
50
0
2010-11 2011-12 2012-13
Year
Figure 1 Production of food grains in India.
40
33.8
35
Area (percentage)
30
25
20
14.8
15 12.7
9.7 8.7
10 7.8
3.5 2.8
5 1.8 1.5 1.5 1.4
0
ra
at
sh
sh
ab
na
s
ha
ga
ha
er
es
ha
ar
ht
de
de
ya
nj
nc
en
th
Bi
ad
st
uj
as
Pu
ar
ra
ra
O
ra
tB
ja
G
Pr
ar
H
lP
rP
Ra
tta
ah
es
a
ha
tta
U
hy
ac
U
ad
im
M
States
Figure 2 Share of states in India in terms of area under cultivation of wheat.
such as Iran, Saudi Arabia, Indonesia, UAE, and Bangladesh Uttaranchal, Himachal Pradesh, and Jammu and Kashmir
mainly imported cereals from India during 2013–14. (Figure 3). These states contribute about 99.5% of total
wheat production in the country. The remaining states, namely
Jharkhand, Assam, Chhattisgarh, Delhi, and other
Wheat northeastern states, contribute only about 0.5% of the total
The area and production under wheat has increased from wheat production in the country. Among food grains, wheat in
27.99 million hectares in 2006–07 to 29.86 million hectares India stands next to rice both in area and production.
in 2011–12 and from 75.81 million tonnes in 2006–07 to an
all-time record high of 94.88 million tonnes in 2011–12,
Rice
respectively. Figure 2 shows the percent share of states in
India in terms of area. Uttar Pradesh, Madhya Pradesh, Punjab, India is the second-largest producer and consumer of rice in
Rajasthan, and Haryana are the leading states in terms of area the world and accounts for 22.3% of global production. Sev-
under wheat cultivation. Uttar Pradesh accounts for the maxi- eral programs run by the government such as National Food
mum area under cultivation and production, whereas Punjab Security Mission (NFSM) launched during 2007–08 and Bring-
and Haryana are yielding higher productivity with lesser land- ing Green Revolution in Eastern India (BGREI) during
holding under wheat cultivation. 2010–11 increased production and productivity of rice from
The increase in production of wheat has been observed in 96.7 million tonnes and 2202 kg ha 1 in 2007–08 to 105.31
the states of Haryana, Punjab, Madhya Pradesh, and Uttar million tonnes and 2393 kg ha 1, respectively, in 2011–12.
Pradesh. The normal national productivity is about 2.9 The NFSM is presently under implementation in 482 dis-
tonnes per hectare. The major wheat-producing states are tricts of 19 states of the country with a view to enhance the
Uttar Pradesh, Punjab, Haryana, Madhya Pradesh, Rajasthan, production of rice, wheat, and pulses through area expansion
Bihar, Maharashtra, Gujarat, Karnataka, West Bengal, and productivity enhancement, restoring soil fertility and
40
33.7
35
Production (percentage)
30
25 21.2
20
15 12.9
9.6 8.9
10 6.2
5 1.7 1.6 1.2 1 0.8 1.2
0
ab
na
ra
al
sh
rs
at
ga
ha
es
es
ha
ch
e
ht
ar
de
ya
nj
en
th
Bi
ad
ad
st
as
uj
an
Pu
ar
ra
O
tB
ja
G
Pr
Pr
ar
r
H
lP
Ra
tta
ah
es
r
ha
tta
U
hy
ac
U
ad
im
M
H
States
Figure 3 Share of states in India for production of wheat.
25
Production (million tonnes)
20
15
10
5
4
-0
-0
-0
-0
-0
-1
-1
-1
-1
-1
04
05
06
07
08
09
10
11
12
13
20
20
20
20
20
20
20
20
20
20
Year
Figure 4 Status of maize production in India.
productivity, creating employment opportunities, and enhanc- improving, and its cultivation has spread to other parts of
ing farm level economy to restore confidence of farmers. The Uttar Pradesh and Madhya Pradesh.
basic strategy of the mission is to promote and extend
improved technologies that is, seed, micronutrients, soil
Maize
amendments, integrated pest management, farm machinery,
and resource conservation technologies, along with capacity After rice and wheat, maize is emerging as the third-most-
building of farmers with effective monitoring and better man- important crop in India. Its importance lies in the fact that it
agement in the high-potential districts to bridge the yield gaps. is used for human food as well as animal feed, and it is also
BGREI aims to increase rice productivity by intensive culti- widely used for the starch industry, oil production, baby corns,
vation through promotion of recommended agriculture tech- and so on. However, despite the production strength, Indian
nology and a package of practices by addressing the underlying corn yields are significantly below the yields in major corn-
constraints of different agroclimatic subregions. It is under producing countries. There is immense scope for an increment
operation in seven states including Uttar Pradesh, Jharkhand, in India’s corn production by increasing the area under
Bihar, West Bengal, Assam, Orissa, and Chhattisgarh. Rice hybrids, adoption of better genetics, and improved agronomic
contributes to more than 40% of total food grain production practices. Maize is primarily a kharif crop (summer season’s
and is cultivated throughout the country. Rice production in crop) with 85% of the area under cultivation and accounting
India shows a steady upward trend, but it is subjected to wide for 9% of total food grain production. In India the CAGR
year-to-year fluctuations compared to wheat, as a significant (cumulative annual growth rate) of maize production has been
portion of the crop is not irrigated. Indian Basmati rice is 5.5% over the last 10 years from 14 million tonnes in 2004–05
traditionally grown in Punjab, Haryana, and western Uttar to 23 million tonnes in 2013–14 (Figure 4). There was a
Pradesh. With the introduction of high-yielding PUSA 1121 decline in the production of maize during 2009–10 due to
variety, India’s long-grain basmati rice production has been drought conditions in India.
6 1.5
5
4
-0
-0
-0
-0
-0
-1
-1
-1
-1
-1
04
05
06
07
08
09
10
11
12
13
20
20
20
20
20
20
20
20
20
20
Years
Figure 5 Yield and area under cultivation of maize.
3000
2500
2000
1500
1000
500
0
2007-08 2008-09 2009-10 2010-11 2011-12 2012-13
Year
Figure 6 Area, production, and yield of barley in India.
In Figure 5 area under maize cultivation, yield, and CAGR of habits and lifestyle has reduced the demand for barley for
area are mentioned. During the last decade (2004–05 to human consumption, thereby causing the area in cultivation
2013–14), CAGR of the area under maize cultivation has of barley to plummet during last few decades. Barley is utilized
increased 2.5%, and cultivated area increased from 7.5 million for beer, food processing, and feed industries apart from direct
hectares in 2004–05 to 9.4 million hectares in 2013–14. Factors human consumption in India. Recently, a rise in demand for
such as adaptability to diverse agroclimatic conditions, lower beer in urban India has directly increased the demand for
labor costs, and lowering of the water table in the rice belt of barley malt from Indian beer manufacturing industries.
India have contributed to the increase in acreage of maize. The country is self-sufficient in barley production, although
Productivity of maize has accelerated at a CAGR of 2.9% from production is low, besides exporting 0.1–0.2 million tonnes of
1.9 million tonnes per hectare in 2004–05 to 2.5 million tonnes barley annually. In recent years, India’s annual production has
per hectare in 2013–14. Yield of maize increased by 20% due to been stagnant at 1.2–1.5 million tonnes, with production in
introduction of single-cross hybrid seeds coupled with adequate 2012–13 at 1.74 million tonnes against 1.61 million tonnes
rainfall in 2007–08. In India 85% of maize production and 80% reported last year. Similarly, the area under cultivation has also
of the area under cultivation come from nine states viz. remained stable at 600–700 ha, with a per-hectare yield of
Karnataka, Andhra Pradesh, Tamil Nadu, Rajasthan, Maharash- 2508 kg (Figure 6).
tra, Bihar, Uttar Pradesh, Madhya Pradesh, and Gujarat. In India, major barley-growing states are Uttar Pradesh,
Rajasthan, and Madhya Pradesh, with a contribution of 34%,
30%, and 12%, respectively, in total acreage. Compositely,
these states hold about 80% of the whole acreage (Figure 7).
Barley
Rajasthan ranks second in terms of acreage under barley
Barley is the fourth-most-important and most adapted crop of and holds first place in terms of production due to a higher
all cereals. It is used for both feed and food. A shift in the food yield level. Rajasthan accounts for 40% of total production of
0
1961-71 1971-81 1981-91 1991-01 2001-11
Years
Figure 9 Growth rate of population and food grain production in India.
consumption to nongrain food and animal product consump- Exercises for Readers to Explore the Topic Further
tion. Rath suggested that the per capita grain consumption will
further decrease due to the reduction in physical labor require- • Why are India’s food grain production and productivity still
ment in rural areas due to the adoption of more mechanized lagging behind?
and modernized agriculture. Furthermore, improving medical • What would be the implications of economic development
facilities and infrastructure also contribute to the reduction in and urbanization on the food grain consumption patterns
energy requirements and thus less cereal consumption. It has of the Indian population?
been suggested that a reduction in the intake of food grains on • What would be the effects of switching consumption pat-
this account should not be taken as deterioration in human terns on the future production estimates of grains?
welfare.
Sustained economic growth and changing lifestyles are
accounting for a significant shift in Indian food culture that is See also: Food Grains and the Consumer: Consumer Trends in
inclined toward high-value horticultural and animal products Grain Consumption; Cultural Differences in Processing and
and away from staple food grains. Rising per capita income and Consumption; Grains Around the World: Grain Production and
urbanization are leading to a dietary transition primarily from Consumption: Overview; The Basics: The Grain Chain: The Route
cereals with low-price calorie foods (foods such as wheat and from Genes to Grain-Based Products; The Grain Crops: An Overview;
rice with low price and rich in carbohydrates) toward high- The Cereal Grains: An Overview of the Family of Cereal Grains
price calorie foods like livestock products and processed or Prominent in World Agriculture; Barley: An Overview of a Versatile
ready-to-eat products. The transitions are also attributed to Cereal Grain with Many Food and Feed Uses; Maize: Overview; Rice:
farming patterns, as farmers are adopting new technologies Overview; Wheat: An Overview of the Grain That Provides ‘Our Daily
that have resulted in an increase in farm productivity. Bread’.
In accordance with Engel’s law, as the earnings of people
rise, the cheaper source of energy for living, which comes from
the staple food consumption, is likely to drop. A decline in
cereal consumption is substituted with the increased consump- Further Reading
tion of high-value commodities. Over time the shifting of
Amarasinghe UA, Shah T, and Singh OP (2007) Changing consumption patterns:
cereal consumption pattern will be prominent across all house- Implications on food and water demand in India. Colombo, Sri Lanka: International
holds in different expenditure groups. The devolution in cereal Water Management Institute, 43 p. (IWMI Research Report 119).
consumption can also be credited to the diversification of food Annual Report, 2011–12. Department of Agricultural Research (DARE) & Education/
production, easy access of high-value commodities, and Indian Council of Agricultural Research (ICAR).
Bansil PS (1999) Demand for foodgrains by 2020 AD. New Delhi: Observer Research
switching tastes and preferences. This agrees with the argu-
Foundation.
ments by Kumar and Mathur that the demand for food is not Directorate of Economics and Statistics, 12–13. Department of Agriculture and
only influenced by the income of a person but also by differ- Cooperation, Ministry of Agriculture, Government of India, New Delhi.
ences in urban and rural lifestyles, the development of more Kumar P and Mathur VC (1996) Structural changes in demand for food in India. Indian
advanced marketing systems, and occupational changes are Journal of Agricultural Economics 51(4): 664–673.
Kumar P and Mathur VC (1997) Agriculture in future: Demand and supply prospective.
closely linked with increasing per capita income. Tastes and In: Desai BM (ed.) Agricultural Development Paradigm for the Ninth Plan Under New
preferences are also moving toward high value commodities. Economic Development. New Delhi, India: Oxford and IBH Publishing.
With the availability of cash money and high-value commod- Mittal S (2007) What affect changes in cereal consumption? Economic and Political
ities in the food basket, the decline in calories by reduced cereal Weekly: 444–447, February.
National Sample Survey (NSS)-68th round July 2011-June 2012. Household
consumption is partly compensated for by intake of highly
consumption of various goods and services in India, Government of India.
nutritive and vitamin-rich food products. Some other studies Radhakrishna R and Ravi C (1990) Food Demand Projections for India. Hyderabad:
have also attributed the change in per capita consumption of Centre for Economics and Social Studies.
cereals to economic growth, rise in per capita income, urban- Radhakrishna R and Ravi C (1992) Effects of growth, relative price and performances of
ization and preferences, market integration, and many more as food and nutrition. Indian Economic Review 27: 303–323.
Rao CHH (2000) Declining demand for foodgrains in rural India: Census and
the dominating factors. Implications. Economic and Political Weekly, January 22.
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Exercise for Revision Singh SK (2014) Grain and feed annual, India. Global Agricultural Information Network
(GAIN) report-IN4005.
The Economic Survey 2014–15, Agricultural and Processed Food Products Export
• How has Indian agriculture been successful in changing its Development Authority (APEDA).
face postindependence? The Tribune, Chandigarh, February 21, 2014. Sale of beer on the rise, scientists for
• In what ways has the Indian government contributed to the contract farming of barley.
growth of agriculture in India?
• What factors govern the changing consumption patterns of
food grains in India, and how is it changing? Relevant Websites
• What is the total production of different grains in India, and
which are the major grain-producing states? faostat.fao.org – FAOSTAT, data.