New Delhi: India has the largest cultivated area among the BRICS nations, but its farms continue to produce far less grain per hectare than China, the bloc’s biggest cereal producer, an analysis of data provided in the BRICS Joint Statistical Publication released August 18 showed.
As for wheat, the productivity is partly constrained by the crop’s sensitivity to temperature. “Another factor is that many crops grown in China are genetically modified, which can also contribute to higher yields. “India is working on productivity through several fronts. The issue of lower yields was also taken up at the BRICS Agriculture Ministers’ meeting in Indore in June. The countries, as per the joint statement, called for cooperation on technology, quality inputs, research, mechanisation, digital agriculture and improved farm-level efficiency.
a comparison with Brazil shows Brazil’s 2025 rice yield was 7,234 kg/ha, almost 2.5 times India’s, while its maize yield of 6,364 kg/ha was about 66% higher While the document provides limited data for other countries. However, India’s wheat yield of 3,591 kg/ha was higher than Brazil’s 3,230 kg/ha. Russia also recorded a lower wheat yield of 3,431 kg/ha in 2025.
“The paddy-wheat cycle can delay wheat sowing in India, exposing the crop to heat during the following season and affecting yields,” Chaturvedi said. Indian Council of Agricultural Research (ICAR) is developing climate-resilient wheat varieties, and farmers are increasingly adopting them, which has helped improve yields,” according to Chaturvedi. India’s move towards direct-seeded rice (DSR), which can reduce the crop’s water requirement alongside several seed-focused missions covering oilseeds, cotton and pulses are aimed at improving the availability of better seeds and raising productivity, Chaturvedi said. The joint declaration listed “low agricultural productivity” among the challenges facing BRICS agriculture, alongside climate risks, land and water degradation, biodiversity loss and supply-chain disruptions.
