Beyond Rice: The New Dynamics of Food, Fuel, and Farming in India

India’s agricultural landscape is undergoing a significant transformation, with a marked shift from Kharif rice to Rabi and summer maize in states such as Bihar, West Bengal, and others, driven by economic incentives, the Ethanol Blending Program, and climate variability. Maize’s rising demand in poultry feed, ethanol production, and starch industries, alongside its superior water-use efficiency and resilience to climate stressors, underpins this transition. However, the declining rice acreage threatens food security, given rice’s critical role in the Public Distribution System. This market-driven shift, unsupported by Minimum Support Price, necessitates strategic policy interventions to balance resource efficiency with national food security imperatives.