India is adjusting its agricultural strategy as the country's rice productivity growth shows signs of slowing down. While rice acreage has continued to expand, yield growth has moderated significantly, prompting industry leaders and experts to advocate for the adoption of genome-edited varieties, high-performing hybrids, and better agronomic practices to secure future food supplies.
Data from the Department of Agriculture and Farmers Welfare indicates that rice yield growth, which stood at 9.4 per cent in 2001-02 and 5.9 per cent in 2005-06, has become subdued in recent years. Yield growth slowed to 1.6 per cent in both 2023-24 and 2024-25, before declining further to 0.5 per cent, reaching 2,915 kg/ha in 2025-26. Meanwhile, rice acreage grew more rapidly, with area growth reaching 7.2 per cent in 2024-25 and 3.1 per cent in 2025-26. Rice production crossed 1,500 lakh tonnes in 2024-25 with a 9 per cent growth rate, which subsequently slowed to 2.6 per cent in 2025-26.
To address this productivity challenge, the government is preparing to release a newly developed genome-edited variety, Pusa Rice DST1, for commercial production in the upcoming rabi season. Another variety, DRR Dhan 100 (Kamala), was also developed in 2025. In trials, DRR Dhan 100 has demonstrated a yield improvement of approximately 19 per cent, while Pusa Rice DST1 is engineered to perform better under drought and saline conditions.
Anand Chandra, Co-founder and Executive Director of grain commerce platform Arya.ag, noted that the slowdown in yield is real and predictable. Earlier gains derived from high-yielding varieties, irrigation, and fertilizer use have largely matured, while a gap remains between research station yields and farmer-field yields. Chandra cautioned, however, that better seeds alone will not lift the national average. Timely planting, balanced nutrition, efficient water management, higher seed replacement rates, and stronger extension services will also be necessary.
Ajai Rana, Chairman of the Federation of Seed Industry of India (FSII) and CEO of Savannah Seeds, contrasted India's position with countries like China and the US, where hybrid rice covers over half of the rice cultivation area, compared to just 7-8 per cent in India. Rana stated that India requires hybrids that combine a reliable yield advantage of over 25 per cent with locally preferred grain quality and climate resilience to accelerate productivity.
Looking ahead, meeting food security requirements will depend heavily on productivity gains rather than further acreage expansion. Chandra estimates an additional requirement of 150-200 lakh tonnes of rice by the middle of the next decade, while Rana projects a requirement of 169-185 million tonnes. Both experts see potential to raise rice productivity over the next 10-15 years to targets ranging from 3,600 to 6,000 kg/ha. Achieving the higher end of these targets, according to Rana, will require a mission-driven public-private effort alongside improved irrigation and agronomy.
"The deceleration in agricultural productivity growth highlights a critical transition point for India's rural economy. As traditional yield drivers mature, future food security and agricultural business sustainability will rely heavily on innovation in seeds, genome editing, and better supply chain and agronomic execution. Bridging the gap between research and farm-level implementation presents a strong avenue for agri-tech integration and public-private collaboration." — Dr. Shishir Gupta, Founder & CEO, StartupLanes
