New Delhi, Oct. 30 -- Rising rice production in India, a key producer, is being driven by a combination of factors, good rainfall and an incentive structure that favours paddy cultivation, according to noted agricultural economist Ashok Gulati, and Professor at the Indian Council for Research on International Economic Relations (ICRIER).

Explaining the reasons behind the increase, Gulati, talking to ANI on the sidelines of the Bharat International Rice Conference 2025, said on Thursday, "This year there was very good rainfall, relatively abundant, some places even flooding. And rice is a water guzzler, so it prospers there."

He added that India's farm policies and input pricing further push farmers toward rice.

"Second, I think the inc...