India's rice output may hit record high of 124 mt in 2025 kharif season

Good rice production could pressure government to step up buying

- SANJEEB MUKHERJEE

India’s rice production in the 2025 kharif season is estimated to hit a new record of around 124.50 million tonnes (mt), 1.4 per cent more than the same season last year, the first advance estimate of food grains production for the 2025-26 crop season released Wednesday said.

The crop season runs from July to June.

The overall kharif foodgrains production for 2025-26 is estimated to be 173.33 mt, which is around 3.9 mt or 2.3 per cent more than the kharif season of 2024-25.

Sowing for kharif crops starts around June, with the onset of monsoon, and harvesting starts from October onwards. A good kharif production is expected to further keep inflation under check which has already dropped to multiyear lows.