Gyan Prakash, Manish Kumar, Ashish Srivastava, Yogesh Kumar and Shiv Kumar Rana
Abstract
This paper deals with the analysis of growth performance on crop variables (viz., production, area and yield) of rice and wheat for major states of India and at the national level, based on historical data pertaining to the year 1997 and 2024. The analytical methods applied in the study involved percentage change, compound annual growth rate (CAGR), and decomposition analysis. In addition, the ranking of major states was made in terms of crop variables for the year 2024. The outcomes of the analysis revealed considerable inter-state variation in area expansion, production growth and yield improvement. The state of Telangana reported highest growth in area and production of rice as compared to the other traditional rice producing states. In a similar manner, Madhya Pradesh, Maharashtra and Gujarat witnessed highest growth in area and production of wheat as compared to the other traditional wheat-producing states. Hence, these states emerged as new growth centers as compared to the other traditionally dominant states. Moreover, at the national level, rice production grew at 2.24% and wheat production grew at 2.15%, which was significantly higher than the growth in rice area (0.61%) and wheat area (0.77%), respectively. Furthermore, the growth in rice and wheat production has largely shifted from acreage-driven to yield-driven growth for most of the states and at the national level as well. Hence, the future growth in rice and wheat production could be effectively maintained through sustained technological advancement, efficient resource use, and improved crop management practices, particularly in regions with limited scope for area expansion. The findings of this study could provide valuable insights towards informative decision-making regarding policy formulation for enhancement of rice and wheat production for meeting global food demand.