New Delhi: India has made steady progress in agricultural productivity in recent years, but its crop yields remain significantly lower than those of China, according to an analysis of data from the BRICS Joint Statistical Publication released on August 18.
India has the largest cultivated area among the BRICS countries, covering around 154 million hectares. However, China, with about 129 million hectares of cultivated land, produced more than twice as much cereal in 2025.
According to the latest data, India’s rice yield stood at 2,915 kg per hectare in 2025-26, compared with 7,205 kg per hectare in China in 2025. Wheat yield in India was 3,591 kg per hectare, while China recorded 5,940 kg per hectare. The gap was also visible in maize, with India producing 3,824 kg per hectare against China’s 6,700 kg.
China produced around 660.2 million tonnes of cereals in 2025, more than double India’s 324.8 million tonnes.
Agriculture experts, however, say the reasons for the productivity gap vary from crop to crop. Former agriculture secretary Devesh Chaturvedi pointed to irrigation, crop varieties, sowing patterns and technology as some of the factors influencing yields.
In the case of rice, a large part of China’s production benefits from assured irrigation, while Indian agriculture remains partly dependent on rainfall. India also grows varieties such as Basmati rice, which generally produce lower yields but can provide farmers with higher returns.
Wheat productivity is affected by rising temperatures and the timing of sowing. The traditional paddy-wheat cycle can sometimes delay wheat planting, exposing the crop to heat during its growing period.
India has nevertheless recorded improvements. Between 2019-20 and 2025-26, rice yield increased from 2,722 kg per hectare to 2,915 kg, while wheat yield rose from 3,440 kg to 3,591 kg. Maize recorded the biggest improvement, increasing from 3,006 kg to 3,824 kg per hectare, a rise of around 27%.
Experts said efforts are underway to improve productivity through climate-resilient crop varieties, better seeds, direct-seeded rice and technology-driven farming.
However, higher yields have not translated into continuous growth in cereal production. India’s cereal output fell from 332.05 million tonnes in 2024 to 324.79 million tonnes in 2025. China, meanwhile, increased its cereal production by around 1.2% to 660.21 million tonnes.
The issue of agricultural productivity was also discussed at the BRICS Agriculture Ministers’ meeting in Indore in June. Member countries highlighted climate risks, water and land degradation and supply-chain challenges, while calling for greater cooperation in technology, mechanisation, research and digital agriculture.
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