The projections indicate a 70% increase in food demand by 2050, as the world population approaches 9.7 billion. We must significantly enhance agricultural productivity to meet this demand. However, farmers face numerous challenges that hinder their ability to maximise crop yields and ensure food security.
If we look at the total cultivable land across countries, we will find that India has the largest area of cultivable land; however, it is not the largest crop producer in the world.
Let's take a look at the top five countries in terms of cultivable land:
India: 169 million hectares
United States: 160 million hectares
China: 134 million hectares
Russia: 123 million hectares
Brazil: 63 million hectares
China, the United States, and Brazil dominate global crop production, leading in major staples like rice, wheat, soy, and corn. For 2024/2025, the US leads with 378 million metric tonnes, followed by China (294 million) and Brazil (136 million).
In 2024-25, with rice production of 150 million metric tonnes, India surpassed China, with their yield limited to 145 million metric tonnes, to become the top producer of rice in the world. But if we take a look at the total rice yield per hectare of cultivated land, we will find that it is significantly lower for India. For example, India used ~51 million hectares compared to China’s ~30 million hectares for rice cultivation; India produced more total rice due to a significantly larger cultivation area.
Various factors influence the yield per hectare; these factors include bad irrigation patterns and natural calamities, as well as issues like:
Wild animal attacks
Overwatering
Heat Stress
Cattle health and snakebite risks
Limited access to modern technology
Addressing these issues is crucial for sustainable agriculture and global food security. With technological advancement in agriculture, countries are trying to achieve maximum throughput and increase their produce per hectare of cultivable land.
Our FarmSense device, built around infrared technology and AI technology, can be used to make the cultivated land reach its full potential of total crop yield, hence improving the total yield per hectare significantly. Click on the images to know more
