India’s crop output drops, as country relies more on milk, meat and fish gain

Wheat and rice have lowest contribution to agri output

India’s crop output declined to its lowest level of 54.1 percent in 2023–24, down from 54.8 percent in the previous year and 62.4 percent a decade ago, according to a Moneycontrol analysis.

In contrast, milk now contributes more to the Indian economy, with its share rising to 20.5 percent from 17 percent a decade earlier. The contribution of meat products has also increased during this period—from 5 percent to 7.5 percent.

Fishing accounted for 7 percent of the country’s agricultural output, up from 4.2 percent ten years ago.

Cereals, Pulses, and Fibres in Decline

In 2023–24, cereals contributed just 14.5 percent to India’s agricultural GDP—the lowest since the series began in 2011–12—with both wheat and rice losing share, according to data released by the government on June 27.

The share of paddy fell to 7.62 percent in 2023–24 from 7.67 percent the previous year and 8.94 percent in 2011–12. Wheat’s share declined to 4.78 percent from 6.19 percent in 2011–12. Maize was the only cereal crop to record a gain during this period.

The share of pulses in agricultural output dropped to 2.53 percent in 2023–24—the lowest in eight years—down from a pre-pandemic peak of 3.3 percent.

Despite the overall decline in crop output, a few commodities have bucked the trend. Condiments and spices, driven by higher exports, have increased their share in India’s agricultural output over the last decade.