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Q37 (IAS/2019) Geography › World Human & Economic Geography › World trade and transport Official Key

Among the following, which one is the largest exporter of rice in the world in the last five years?

Result
Your answer: —  ·  Correct: B
Explanation

India had the highest export volume of rice worldwide, at 22 million metric tons as of 2024/2025.[1] Additionally, India is expected to ship around 24 million metric tons, making up about 40% of all global rice exports.[2] This dominant position in global rice trade clearly establishes India as the world's largest rice exporter.

China, while being a major rice producer, is not a leading exporter and primarily focuses on domestic consumption. Myanmar and Vietnam are significant rice exporters in Southeast Asia, but their export volumes are considerably lower than India's. India accounts for approximately 40% of all global rice exports[2], which far exceeds the market share of other competing nations.

Therefore, **Option B (India)** is the correct answer as it has consistently maintained its position as the world's largest rice exporter over the last five years.

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Don’t just practise – reverse-engineer the question. This panel shows where this PYQ came from (books / web), how the examiner broke it into hidden statements, and which nearby micro-concepts you were supposed to learn from it. Treat it like an autopsy of the question: what might have triggered it, which exact lines in the book matter, and what linked ideas you should carry forward to future questions.
Q. Among the following, which one is the largest exporter of rice in the world in the last five years? [A] China [B] India [C] Myanmar […
At a glance
Origin: Mostly Current Affairs Fairness: Low / Borderline fairness Books / CA: 0/10 · 10/10
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This is a classic 'Headline Fact' question. If India ranks #1 globally in any major metric (Rice Exports, Milk Production, Digital Payments), it becomes a mandatory memorization point. The trap lies in confusing 'Largest Producer' (China) with 'Largest Exporter' (India)—a distinction clarified in the Economic Survey.

How this question is built

This question can be broken into the following sub-statements. Tap a statement sentence to jump into its detailed analysis.

Statement 1
Which country has been the largest exporter of rice in the world over the last five years by export volume (metric tons)?
Origin: Web / Current Affairs Fairness: CA heavy Web-answerable

Web source
Presence: 5/5
"India had the highest export volume of rice worldwide, at 22 million metric tons as of 2024/2025."
Why this source?
  • Explicitly states the country with the highest export volume for the most recent season (2024/2025).
  • Provides a concrete export volume in metric tons (22 million) tying India to being the top exporter.
Web source
Presence: 5/5
"The world's largest producer and exporter is India, which is expected to ship around 24 million metric tons, making up about 40% of all global rice exports."
Why this source?
  • Directly identifies India as the world's largest exporter and gives a recent annual export volume estimate.
  • Quantifies India’s share of global rice exports (~40%), supporting its position as the largest exporter.
Web source
Presence: 4/5
"India | 4.8 million metric tons | $3.3 billion"
Why this source?
  • Gives recent quarterly export volume data (2025 Q1) showing India’s export volume well above other listed countries.
  • Supports the pattern of India leading exports in recent periods (consistent with annual figures).

Certificate Physical and Human Geography , GC Leong (Oxford University press 3rd ed.) > Chapter 21: The Warm Temperate Eastern Margin (China Type) Climate > Economic Development > p. 202
Strength: 5/5
“Let us now examine some of the regions more closely. l. Farming in Monsoon China. Undoubtedly this is the world's greatest rice-growing area. A third of the world's rice is grown in China, though the huge population of 980 million leaves very little for export. In fact, in normal years, imports of rice and other food grains are essential. The Chinese peasants raise 'wet padi' or 'swamp rice' in flooded fields that call for endless hard labour for the greater part of the year.”
Why relevant

States that China is the world's greatest rice producer but consumes nearly all of it, leaving very little for export.

How to extend

A student could use this rule (high production + very large domestic consumption => low exports) to eliminate China as the largest exporter despite its production lead.

Indian Economy, Vivek Singh (7th ed. 2023-24) > Chapter 10: Agriculture - Part I > Green Revolution > p. 303
Strength: 4/5
“India is the largest producer of milk and second largest producer of rice, wheat, sugarcane and fruits and vegetables. India is the largest exporter of rice and second largest exporter of beef and cotton. In FY 2021-22, Indian agri-exports were $50 billion against imports of $31 billion. This is nothing short of a wonder for a country which used to be dependent on US imports for its cereals in mid-1960's.”
Why relevant

Asserts India is the largest exporter of rice and highlights strong basmati exports and overall agricultural export presence.

How to extend

Treat this as a direct claim to be checked against recent export-volume statistics (e.g., FAO/UN Comtrade) to confirm whether India has led exports in the last five years.

Environment and Ecology, Majid Hussain (Access publishing 3rd ed.) > Chapter 12: Major Crops and Cropping Patterns in India > Trade > p. 19
Strength: 4/5
“Most of the rice produced in the country is consumed locally. Basmati rice is exported Gulf countries, Russia, and east European countries. India sometimes imports rice from Tailand, Myanmar, USA, Bangladesh, Malaysia and Sri Lanka. Tailand is the leading exporter of rice in the world.”
Why relevant

Explicitly claims Thailand is the leading exporter of rice in the world, presenting an alternative candidate to India.

How to extend

Use this as a competing hypothesis and compare Thailand's recent annual export volumes with those of India and other exporters using standard trade datasets or world map trade patterns.

Certificate Physical and Human Geography , GC Leong (Oxford University press 3rd ed.) > Chapter 26: Agriculture > World Production and Distribution > p. 251
Strength: 4/5
“(a) The output of world rice amounts to around 367 million tonnes, of which 95.7% is grown and consumed in Asia. (1977 figures) (b) China, the greatest producer and consumer of rice, accounts for 36.7% of world's rice, mainly in the three river basins. (c) India, grows 20% of world's rice and imports annually, though half of India's population consumes wheat too. Chief areas: Indo-Gangetic Plain and coastal India. (d) Japan, Indonesia and Bangladesh; each imports to supplement production. (e) The rice exporters are Burma, Thailand. (3Vo and 4Vo of world production respectively). (f) Others: the Socialist Republic of Vietnam, Philippines, Brazil, S.”
Why relevant

Lists principal rice exporters historically (Burma, Thailand, and mentions Vietnam among others), showing a pattern that Southeast Asian countries are major exporters.

How to extend

A student could assemble these commonly listed exporter countries (Thailand, Vietnam, Myanmar, India, Pakistan) and then check their recent export volumes to identify the leader over the last five years.

Indian Economy, Nitin Singhania .(ed 2nd 2021-22) > Chapter 9: Agriculture > CURRENT SCENARIO OF INDIAN AGRICULTURE (as per Economic Survey 2020-21) > p. 289
Strength: 3/5
“• Gross capital formation in agriculture and allied sectors is showing a fluctuating ۰ trend • In 2019-20, India's agriculture and allied exports amounted to approximately ₹252,000 crore. Since the 1991 economic reforms, India has remained a net exporter of agricultural products. The share of marine products remains the largest among agricultural-product exports followed by basmati rice.”
Why relevant

Notes that basmati rice is a significant exported item for India and that India has remained a net exporter of agricultural products since 1991.

How to extend

Use India's documented export focus (basmati and other rice types) as a clue to look up India-specific rice export tonnages and compare them to major competitors' figures.

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