India’s Resilient Agricultural Production Systems Deepen Food Security, Exports And Farm-sector Strength

India’s agricultural economy continues to anchor rural livelihoods, national food security and broader economic resilience, with the sector and allied activities contributing nearly one-fifth of gross value added at current prices, employing about 46.1 percent of the workforce and supporting close to 55 percent of the population. Over the past five years, the sector has recorded an average annual growth rate of around 4.4 percent at constant prices, reflecting stronger farm practices, wider technology adoption and more resilient production systems across the country.

The latest production figures underline the scale of that expansion. In the 2024-25 agricultural year, India recorded a foodgrain output of 357.73 million metric tonnes, up by 25.43 million metric tonnes over the previous year, with higher production of rice, wheat, maize and coarse cereals, including millets. Horticulture has advanced in parallel, with total output reaching 362.08 million tonnes in 2024-25, while second advance estimates place horticulture production at 367.72 million tonnes, up from 280.70 million tonnes in 2013-14. This growth points to a steady shift toward high-value crops, with fruits contributing 114.51 million tonnes, vegetables 219.67 million tonnes and other horticultural crops 33.54 million tonnes.

India’s weight in global agriculture has expanded alongside this domestic growth. Agricultural exports rose from USD 34.5 billion in FY20 to USD 51.1 billion in FY25, reflecting a compound annual growth rate of 8.2 percent. In FY25, agri-food exports, including processed food products, stood at USD 49.43 billion and accounted for about 11.2 percent of total exports. The processed food share in the export basket also climbed from 14.9 percent in FY18 to 20.4 percent in FY25, indicating a stronger move toward value addition and diversified export competitiveness.

The production map across commodities further highlights India’s agricultural depth. In 2024-25, India produced 150.18 million tonnes of rice and 117.94 million tonnes of wheat, ranking among the world’s largest producers in both cereals. Pulse production reached 25.68 million tonnes, while millet output stood at 18.59 million tonnes, reinforcing India’s leadership in climate-resilient and nutrition-sensitive crops. In horticulture, fruit production reached 114.51 million tonnes and vegetable production 219.67 million tonnes. India also remains a major force in high-value crops, with sugarcane output at 454.61 million tonnes, cotton production at about 5.05 million tonnes, tea production at 1.203 million tonnes during April-December 2024-25, spices output at 12 million metric tonnes in 2023-24, coconut production at about 21.3 billion nuts, and coffee output at around 0.36 million tonnes annually.

This production strength is backed by a sharp rise in public investment and policy support. Budget allocation for the Department of Agriculture and Farmers Welfare increased from Rs. 21,933.50 crore in 2013-14 to Rs. 1,27,290.16 crore in 2025-26, with the 2026-27 allocation rising further to Rs. 1,30,561.38 crore. Mission-led programmes such as the National Food Security and Nutrition Mission, the Mission for Aatmanirbharta in Pulses, and the National Mission on Edible Oils are driving productivity gains, diversification and import reduction. At the field level, about 6.85 lakh Seed Villages have been established, 25.55 crore Soil Health Cards had been issued by mid-November 2025, and the share of gross irrigated area had risen to 55.8 percent under the Pradhan Mantri Krishi Sinchayee Yojana.

Institutional credit, mechanisation and farmer-support systems have also expanded substantially. Ground-level agricultural credit disbursement reached Rs. 28.67 lakh crore in FY 2024-25, while 7.72 crore operative Kisan Credit Card accounts were in place as of March 31, 2025. Between 2014-15 and 2025-26, 27,554 Custom Hiring Centres were established to widen access to farm machinery for smaller cultivators. Natural farming expanded to 17,632 clusters covering 6.39 lakh hectares with 15.79 lakh farmers enrolled, while Kisan Call Centres handled 30.65 lakh farmer queries in 2024-25. Together, these numbers show an agricultural system that is becoming larger in output, broader in capability and stronger in resilience, while steadily moving toward higher-value production and deeper integration with global markets.

Reference:

https://www.pib.gov.in/PressReleasePage.aspx?PRID=2248987&reg=3&lang=1