Country agriculture profile · South Asia
India
India is one of the world’s largest agricultural producers and a country where farming remains central to the livelihoods of hundreds of millions of smallholders. It ranks among the top global producers of rice, wheat, cotton, sugarcane, pulses, and milk, and it supports the world’s largest herd of dairy cattle and water buffalo. Production is shaped overwhelmingly by the southwest monsoon, with the Green Revolution since the 1960s making the irrigated northwest and Indo-Gangetic Plain the grain heartland.
Farming systems (stable overview)
Climate zones
- Tropical monsoon (dominant)
- Arid and semi-arid (northwest and Deccan)
- Humid subtropical (Indo-Gangetic Plain)
- Tropical wet (northeast and Western Ghats coast)
- Alpine and highland (Himalaya)
Agroecological zones
- Indo-Gangetic Plain (rice-wheat systems)
- Semi-arid Deccan Plateau (rainfed cereals, cotton, and pulses)
- Eastern rice belt
- Irrigated northwest (Punjab-Haryana)
Dominant crop systems
- Irrigated rice-wheat rotation across the Indo-Gangetic Plain
- Rainfed and irrigated cotton, pulses (chickpea), oilseeds, and millets on the Deccan and central plateau
- Sugarcane in irrigated northern and western tracts
- Diverse horticulture across kharif (monsoon) and rabi (winter) seasons
Major livestock systems
- The world’s largest smallholder dairy sector, built on cattle and water buffalo (the White Revolution / Operation Flood)
- Large goat and sheep flocks for meat and fiber
- Rapidly expanding commercial poultry, with draft animals still significant
Irrigation: India operates one of the world’s largest irrigated areas, drawing heavily on groundwater tube wells and canal networks, with acute concerns over aquifer depletion in the northwest.
Latest verified data
Each value is the most recent available observation, shown with its own year and unit. Figures are periodically revised — treat them as dated, sourced statistics, not evergreen facts.
| Indicator | Value | Unit | Year |
|---|---|---|---|
| Agricultural land | 60.06 | % of land area | 2023 |
| Arable land | 51.75 | % of land area | 2023 |
| Cereal yield | 3,632.5 | kg per hectare | 2024 |
| Cereal production | 391,123,857.84 | metric tons | 2024 |
| Food production index | 127.82 | index (2014–2016 = 100) | 2022 |
| Livestock production index | 132.52 | index (2014–2016 = 100) | 2022 |
| Employment in agriculture(est.) | 42.35 | % of total employment | 2024 |
| Irrigated agricultural land | 44.41 | % of agricultural land | 2023 |
Source: World Bank Open Data (World Development Indicators) (opens in a new tab) · dataset version 2026-07-01 · retrieved 2026-07-12
Commodity market data
6,543 official observations across 60 commodities. Figures are shown on each commodity page with the unit, status and release its source published.
| Commodity | Metrics recorded |
|---|---|
| Almonds | Area harvested, Production, Yield, Exports, Export value, Imports, Import value |
| Avocados | Exports, Export value, Imports, Import value |
| Bananas | Area harvested, Production, Yield, Index value, Exports, Export value |
| Barley Grain | Area harvested, Production, Yield, Beginning stocks, Domestic use, Ending stocks, Exports, Feed use, Imports, Index value, Export value, Import value |
| Black Peppercorns | Area harvested, Production, Yield, Index value, Exports, Export value, Imports, Import value |
| Buckwheat Grain | Exports, Export value, Imports, Import value |
| Cashew Nuts | Area harvested, Production, Yield, Index value, Exports, Export value, Imports, Import value |
| Cassava Roots | Area harvested, Production, Yield, Index value |
| Chickpeas | Area harvested, Production, Yield, Index value, Exports, Export value, Imports, Import value |
| Cocoa Beans | Area harvested, Production, Yield, Index value, Exports, Export value, Imports, Import value |
| Cotton Lint | Production, Beginning stocks, Ending stocks, Exports, Imports, Index value, Export value, Import value |
| Cottonseed | Production, Beginning stocks, Domestic use, Ending stocks, Exports, Imports, Index value, Export value, Import value |
| Cowpeas | Exports, Export value, Imports, Import value |
| Cucumbers | Area harvested, Production, Yield, Index value, Exports, Export value |
| Dates | Exports, Export value, Imports, Import value |
| Dried Chillies | Area harvested, Production, Yield, Index value, Exports, Export value, Imports, Import value |
| Dried Tobacco Leaf | Area harvested, Production, Yield, Index value, Exports, Export value, Imports, Import value |
| Dry Beans | Area harvested, Production, Yield, Index value, Exports, Export value, Imports, Import value |
| Dry Bulb Onions | Area harvested, Production, Yield, Index value, Exports, Export value, Imports, Import value |
| Dry Peas | Area harvested, Production, Yield, Index value, Exports, Export value, Imports, Import value |
| Flax Fibre | Exports, Export value, Imports, Import value |
| Flaxseed | Area harvested, Production, Yield, Index value, Exports, Export value, Imports, Import value |
| Fresh Apples | Area harvested, Production, Yield, Index value, Exports, Export value, Imports, Import value |
| Fresh Oranges | Area harvested, Production, Yield, Index value, Exports, Export value, Imports, Import value |
| Fresh Pineapples | Area harvested, Production, Yield, Index value, Exports, Export value |
| Fresh Strawberries | Area harvested, Production, Yield, Exports, Export value, Imports, Import value |
| Fresh Tomatoes | Area harvested, Production, Yield, Index value, Exports, Export value |
| Green Coffee | Area harvested, Production, Yield, Index value, Exports, Export value, Imports, Import value |
| Groundnuts | Area harvested, Production, Yield, Beginning stocks, Domestic use, Ending stocks, Exports, Imports, Index value, Export value |
| Hazelnuts | Exports, Export value |
| Head Cabbage | Area harvested, Production, Yield, Index value, Exports, Export value, Imports, Import value |
| Hemp Fibre | Exports, Export value, Imports, Import value |
| Hen Eggs | Production, Index value, Exports, Export value, Imports, Import value |
| Jute Fibre | Area harvested, Production, Yield, Index value, Exports, Export value, Imports, Import value |
| Lentils | Area harvested, Production, Yield, Index value, Exports, Export value, Imports, Import value |
| Maize Grain | Area harvested, Production, Yield, Beginning stocks, Domestic use, Ending stocks, Exports, Feed use, Imports, Index value, Export value, Import value |
| Milled Rice | Beginning stocks, Domestic use, Ending stocks, Exports, Export value, Imports, Import value |
| Millet Grain | Area harvested, Production, Yield, Beginning stocks, Domestic use, Ending stocks, Feed use, Index value, Exports, Export value, Imports, Import value |
| Oat Grain | Domestic use, Exports, Imports, Export value, Import value |
| Pigeon Peas | Area harvested, Production, Yield, Index value, Exports, Export value, Imports, Import value |
| Pistachios | Exports, Export value, Imports, Import value |
| Rapeseed | Area harvested, Production, Yield, Beginning stocks, Domestic use, Ending stocks, Exports, Index value, Export value |
| Raw Cow Milk | Production, Index value, Exports, Export value, Imports, Import value |
| Raw Wool | Production, Index value, Exports, Export value, Imports, Import value |
| Rice Paddy | Area harvested, Production, Yield, Index value, Exports, Export value, Imports, Import value |
| Rye Grain | Exports, Export value |
| Safflower Seed | Area harvested, Production, Yield, Index value, Exports, Export value |
| Sesame Seed | Area harvested, Production, Yield, Index value, Exports, Export value, Imports, Import value |
| Sorghum Grain | Area harvested, Production, Yield, Beginning stocks, Domestic use, Ending stocks, Exports, Feed use, Index value, Export value |
| Soybeans | Area harvested, Production, Yield, Beginning stocks, Domestic use, Ending stocks, Exports, Imports, Index value, Export value, Import value |
| Sugar Beet | Exports, Export value |
| Sugarcane | Area harvested, Production, Yield, Index value, Exports, Export value |
| Sunflower Seed | Area harvested, Production, Yield, Domestic use, Exports, Imports, Index value, Export value, Import value |
| Sweet Potatoes | Area harvested, Production, Yield, Index value, Exports, Export value |
| Tea Leaf | Area harvested, Production, Yield, Index value, Exports, Export value, Imports, Import value |
| Vanilla Beans | Exports, Export value, Imports, Import value |
| Walnuts | Area harvested, Production, Yield, Index value, Exports, Export value, Imports, Import value |
| Ware Potatoes | Area harvested, Production, Yield, Index value, Exports, Export value, Imports, Import value |
| Wheat Grain | Area harvested, Production, Yield, Beginning stocks, Domestic use, Ending stocks, Exports, Feed use, Imports, Index value, Export value, Import value |
| Yams | Area harvested, Production, Yield, Exports, Export value |
Cereal yield over time
Show data table
| Year | kg per hectare |
|---|---|
| 2013 | 2,969.9 |
| 2014 | 2,990.6 |
| 2015 | 2,852.4 |
| 2016 | 3,012.9 |
| 2017 | 3,127.6 |
| 2018 | 3,301.1 |
| 2019 | 3,394.1 |
| 2020 | 3,391 |
| 2021 | 3,527.9 |
| 2022 | 3,564 |
| 2023 | 3,602 |
| 2024 | 3,632.5 |
Source: World Bank Open Data (World Development Indicators) (opens in a new tab) · dataset version 2026-07-01 · retrieved 2026-07-12
Derived indicator
Arable land as a share of agricultural land: 86.2 % of agricultural land (2023)
Derived value — formula arable-share-of-agricultural-land v1.0.0 (calc v1). Inputs: AG.LND.ARBL.ZS (51.8) ÷ AG.LND.AGRI.ZS (60.1). A derived ratio, not an observed statistic. Sensitive to rounding and to differing revision cycles of the two source series; omit rather than extrapolate when a common year is unavailable.
Documented crops & livestock
Agricultural institutions
- Indian Council of Agricultural Research (ICAR) — Apex national body coordinating agricultural research, education, and the crop-institute and state-university network.
- Ministry of Agriculture and Farmers’ Welfare — Central government ministry responsible for agricultural policy, extension, and farmer support programs.
Data coverage & limitations
Covered by the World Bank WDI snapshots for land, production, yield, economy, inputs, and environment indicators.
| Layer | Status | What is held |
|---|---|---|
| Agricultural authorities | Not yet indexed | — |
| Official registries | Not yet indexed | — |
| Compliance requirements | Not yet indexed | — |
| Support programmes | Not yet indexed | — |
| Biosecurity listings | Not yet indexed | — |
| Variety registrations | Not yet indexed | — |
| Input authorisations | Not yet indexed | — |
| Extension resources | Not yet indexed | — |
| Market statistics | Covered | 443 records |
| Soil survey observations | Not yet indexed | — |
| Border requirements | Not yet indexed | — |
| Farm economics figures | Not yet indexed | — |
| Climate, drought and water values | Covered | 49 records |
This page describes what AgricultureID has indexed, not what exists. A layer shown as not yet indexed means nobody has looked, and never that the thing is absent in that country. How coverage is worked out.
- Statistics are dated, versioned, and periodically revised; single-year figures should not be read as a fixed baseline.
- National definitions of agricultural land, holdings, crop years, and commodities differ from those used by other countries, limiting direct comparison.
- Output is highly monsoon-dependent, producing large year-to-year swings that national aggregates smooth over.
- National figures mask extreme diversity across states and agroecological zones, and groundwater-based irrigation raises long-term sustainability concerns.
Sources
This article draws on the following authoritative sources. See our sources & methodology for how they are selected.
- Authoritative
Cited for: Agricultural statistics (WDI)
- Type:
- Intergovernmental organization
- Jurisdiction:
- Global
- Accessed:
- 2026-07-12
- [2]FAO — Food and Agriculture Organization (opens in a new tab)Authoritative
Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO)
Cited for: Production, land-use, and commodity context
- Type:
- Intergovernmental organization
- Jurisdiction:
- Global
- Accessed:
- 2026-07-12
- [3]ICAR — national agricultural research system of India (opens in a new tab)High
Indian Council of Agricultural Research (ICAR)
Cited for: National crop systems and research context
- Type:
- Research institute
- Jurisdiction:
- India
- Accessed:
- 2026-07-12